White Chocolate & Cranberry Blondies

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter, cubed
• 1-1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 6 ounces white baking chocolate, coarsely chopped
• FROSTING:
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 tablespoon grated orange peel, optional
• 6 ounces white baking chocolate, melted
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped

Directions

• In a microwave, melt butter; stir in brown sugar. Transfer to a large bowl; cool to room temperature. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon; gradually add to butter mixture. Stir in cranberries and chopped chocolate (batter will be thick).
• Spread into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Bake at 350° for 18-21 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean (do not overbake). Cool on a wire rack.
• For frosting, in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and orange peel if desired until blended. Gradually add half of the melted white chocolate; beat until blended. Frost brownies. Sprinkle with cranberries. Drizzle with remaining melted white chocolate. Cut into bars. Store in the refrigerator.

recipe sourced from Tasteofhome.com


A very similar recipe that I made last night (to use up my left over cranberries).......
White Chocolate & Cranberry Brownies

Ingredients:-

• 6 ounces white chocolate (about 1 cup of chips)
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup dried cranberries

Method:-

1/ Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Line a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.

2/Combine the white chocolate chips and butter in a large bowl placed in a saucepan of boiling water.Stir the butter and white chocolate until have both melted.

3/Add in the sugar, eggs, and vanilla, and whisk vigorously to combine the ingredients until the mixture is smooth. Add the flour and use a spatula to fold it into the mixture. Then add your cranberrys & a few more chocolate drops (I sometimes add in a few walnut pieces too)

4/ Transfer to the prepared baking pan and bake for about 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center has only wet crumbs on it. This gives a crunchy outside & a doughy inside (yummy)

5/Let the brownies cool on a wire rack before removing them from the pan and cutting them into squares.