Bready or Not: White Chocolate Peppermint Blondies
These blondies deliver sheer holiday decadence! Peppermint, white chocolate, and cream cheese frosting work together in a glorious way. Do note that the crushed peppermint bits will melt after a few hours, regardless of the temperature at which the bars are kept. They'll still taste fine, but they don't look as pretty!
Course: Dessert, Snack
Keyword: bars, chocolate, cream cheese, mint
Author: Beth Cato
Ingredients
blondies
3/4cupunsalted butter1 1/2 sticks, softened
3/4cupwhite sugar
2/3cupbrown sugarpacked
3large eggsroom temperature
2teaspoonsvanilla extractdivided
3/4teaspoonpure peppermint extract
2 2/3cupsall-purpose flour
3/4teaspoonbaking powder
1/4teaspoonkosher salt
1 3/4cupwhite chocolate chips1 bag
frosting
16ouncescream cheese2 boxes
1cupconfectioners' sugar
1/2cuppeppermintscrushed
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325-degrees. Apply nonstick spray or butter to an aluminum foil-lined 9x13 baking pan.
Beat together butter, both sugars, eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and peppermint extract. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Stir the dry mix into the butter mix. Add the chocolate chips. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
Bake until golden brown and the middle passes the toothpick test, about 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in pan on rack until room temperature, or place in fridge to chill.
When the blondie base is no longer hot, beat together the cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until they are light and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in the remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla.
Spread frosting over blondies. Freeze for 30 minutes or chill in fridge for several hours to set.
Add crushed peppermints just before serving. NOTE: after a few hours, the peppermints will melt, regardless of the temperature of the bars. It looks weird, but tastes the same, even retaining a slight crunch. Other than that, the bars keep fine in the fridge for at least 5 days.