Christmas Blondies
Simply the tastiest and easiest — one bowl — baked goods to whip up!
It’s denser than chocolate chip cookies, more complex than brownies and in the classic Minimalist style, you’ve can customize it anywhere.
Organic. 
Proudly South AfricanBlondies, infinitely adaptable.
This recipe, we hope, will usher in what will be a month peppered with festive ideas for gifty kitchen confections.
Our all time favourite is using chocolate chips and VDC Golden Sultana Raisins. However for more additions you can concider using chopped nuts, toasting them first for better flavor; 2 tablespoons espresso powder; 1/2 teaspoon mint or almond extract in place of the vanilla; 1/2 cup dried fruit; 1/4 cup bourbon, scotch or other whiskey (increase the flour by 1 tablespoon); a mix of chopped chocolate or candy bars (toffee bits would be fantastic here); peanut butter chips instead of chocolate chips… the options are endless and make for fun tasting.
You can double up the mixture in a 9×13-inch pan. They’ll end up a tiny bit thicker.
For Gifting:
Who doesn’t love a traditional tin of freshly baked love -wrapped up with a Christmas touch. Even add a bag of dry raisins for an extra cherry on top.
When baking with raisins:
Baking tips: Soak the raisins: For plumper, more flavorful raisins, soak them overnight in rum, brandy, or even hot water for a shorter period before adding them to your batter. Prevent sinking: To stop raisins from sinking to the bottom of the batter, toss them with a little flour before adding them to the mixture. This helps them disperse more evenly throughout the dough.
Ingredients:
- 8 Tablespoons (115 grams) unsalted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt, or 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 1 cup (130 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups mix-ins of your choice. Our favorite: 1 cup chocolate chips plus 1/2 cup VDC Raisins Golden Sultana.
Method:
1. Heat oven to 180°C. Butter an 8×8-inch baking pan, or line the bottom and two sides of one with parchment paper, buttering the exposed parts.
2. Melt butter in a small saucepan; We like to keep cooking it, stirring occasionally, until it becomes toasty and browned at the bottom and has an unbelievable aroma.
3. Pour into a medium or large bowl and whisk in sugar until smooth. At this point, it should be cooled to lukewarm, but if it’s not, let it rest for a few minutes.
4. Then whisk in the large egg, vanilla, and sea salt. Stir in the flour, chocloate chips and raisins (or additions of your choice).
5. Scrape into prepared pan and smooth with spatula; the batter is thick and will take some nudging. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until lightly browned at edges.
6. Cut into more or less 16 or more squares. And enjoy!
T. 
E. 
Mon - Fri 7:30 - 17:00
Perseel 18, Straussburg,
Upington, Northern Cape, South Africa 8816
