Gingerbread Blondies
This gingerbread blondie recipe (gingerblondies?) make chewy, warmly spiced gingerbread bars with tangy cream cheese icing and pomegranate seeds.
Servings: 16
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup fancy molasses
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ½ pomegranate seeds only
For Icing
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 tbsp full-fat cream cheese
- 2 tbsp whipping cream
- 1 ½ cups confectioners' sugar
- ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line an 8x8" baking pan with parchment paper.
- Beat butter, sugar, and molasses in a stand mixer on high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg, scraping down sides of the bowl once with a rubber spatula.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon and salt. Add to butter mixture with mixer speed on low and beat to incorporate.
- Scrape batter into prepared pan, using lightly-dampened hands to press it evenly into the corners (it'll be stiff). Bake for about 20-22 minutes, until sides are pulling away from the pan and top just loses its sheen. Cool 5 minutes in pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make icing, beat the butter, cream cheese, sugar and vanilla together in stand mixer with whisk attachment until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Spread over completely-cooled gingerbread bars.
- Drain pomegranate seeds on paper towels, dabbing them gently to remove moisture from the surface. Scatter seeds over pomegranate seeds. Bars keep at room temperature for a day. If storing longer than that, hold off on the pomegranate seeds until just before serving.