White Chocolate-Peppermint Blondies

By ruthg

We gave the classic bar cookie a holiday makeover with the addition of pretty crushed peppermints and a creamy mint icing. The recipe makes four and a half dozen cookies, perfect for your next holiday party or cookie exchange.

Ingredients

• BLONDIES:
• 1 cup salted butter, softened, plus more for greasing pan
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salted butter, softened
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
• 1 cup coarsely crushed peppermint candies (about 40 candies), divided
• ICING:
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup salted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 2 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 13- x 9-inch baking pan with butter. Line pan with parchment paper, allowing paper to extend over edges of pan. Grease paper.

BLONDIES: Combine butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until combined after each addition. Beat in vanilla and salt. Add flour; beat on low speed just until combined, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in white chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of the crushed peppermints, reserving remaining crushed peppermints.

Spread batter in prepared pan; smooth top with a spatula. Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 20 to 22 minutes. Cool completely in pan. Lift blondies from pan using parchment paper as handles. Remove and discard paper; trim browned edges.

ICING: Combine powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, and peppermint extract in a medium bowl; beat on medium speed until smooth. Beat in 2 tablespoons of the cream. Add up to 1 additional tablespoon cream, if necessary, until icing reaches a spreadable consistency. Spread Icing over top of blondies. Sprinkle with reserved crushed peppermints. Cut into 3-inch squares; cut squares into triangles.