Bready or Not: Cranberry-Candied Ginger Blondies with Macadamia Nuts
Cranberry-Candied Ginger Blondies with Macadamia Nuts! The name is a mouthful, but I assure you, the goodies make for delicious mouthfuls, too.
If the basic ingredients sound familiar, they should. I did a similar-sounding recipe just recently, but you’ll notice, they don’t look the same–nor do they taste the same, but both are excellent.
This recipe has a different sort of soft chewy texture, plus macadamia nuts. Macadamia nuts make almost everything better, right?
I think these look especially pretty because of the topping as well. You have to sprinkle on the cranberry and ginger bits fast at the end to make sure they stick in the melted white chocolate.
It’d be a tragedy if the pieces fell off. Then you have to eat them all. Darn.
Modified from Brownies & Bars Magazine.
Bready or Not: Cranberry-Candied Ginger Blondies with Macadamia Nuts
Ingredients
Blondies
- 11 oz white chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup macadamia nuts coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 2 Tablespoons candied ginger chopped
Topping
- 4 oz white chocolate chips
- 1 Tablespoon shortening
- 2 Tablespoons candied ginger chopped
- 1 Tablespoon dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a 13x9 pan with foil and apply nonstick spray or butter.
- In the microwave or in a saucepan on the stovetop, at low heat warm the bag of white chocolate chips until melted. In the microwave, that means brief bursts at low power and stirring well between each pass--watch it, as it can burn fast! Stir in the butter until it's melted. Set aside to cool for 15 minutes.
- Whisk the eggs and sugar into the white chocolate mix followed by the flour and vanilla. Fold in the macadamia nuts, cranberries, and candied ginger. Spread evenly in the ready pan.
- Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, until top is light brown and center passes the toothpick test. Cool pan completely.
- In the microwave or in a saucepan on the stovetop, melt the white chocolate and shortening over low heat until smooth. Drizzle over the bars. Immediately sprinkle the remaining ginger and cranberries over the top and gently tap them into the drizzled chocolate. Let set at room temperature or fridge.
- Use the foil to lift contents onto cutting board. Slice into bars. Store in sealed containers with waxed paper between the layers.
- OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Guest: CASSANDRA COMPLEX author Wendy Nikel with Chocolate Blueberry Cupcakes
I’m happy to welcome back author Wendy Nikel for the release of the 3rd book in her time-traveling novella series with World Weaver Press. The Cassandra Complex is out TODAY. Be sure to print out her previous recipes for Continuum Coffee Cupcakes and Grandmother Paradox Cherry Cupcakes.
The third book in my Place in Time novella series, THE CASSANDRA COMPLEX, is now out into the world, which means it is once again time to make some celebration cupcakes!
My original plan was to use one of the original Harvey Girls recipes, which have been collected online by Stephen Fried in the Harvey Girls Cookbook Project. The Harvey Girls were waitresses who worked at one of the “eating houses” (and later dining cars) of Fred Harvey, a restaurant pioneer of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His goal was to serve good food to people traveling west on the new railroad lines, and he was very successful in doing so, thanks in part to the thousands of women who came out west to serve his food – including the protagonist of my story, Cass.
I soon found out, though, that in trying to bake from a classic recipe like this one for Homemade Blueberry Cake, I was biting off a bit more than I could chew. Even after doing all the math to figure out how much 5 ounces of sugar is in tablespoons and how much 1 gill of milk is, my dough didn’t rise as it was supposed to, and I ended up with a sticky mess.
It was time for Plan B. I pulled out a tried-and-true cupcake recipe, made some tweaks, and created a chocolate cupcake, topped with blueberry frosting and fresh chocolate-covered blueberries for my own version of a blueberry cake.
I started by melting down some chocolate chips with a tiny bit of coconut oil. I created my garnishes by dropping a nickel-sized dot of chocolate on waxed paper, then stacking five blueberries together and sprinkling with sea salt before throwing them in the freezer. These are some of my favorite snack treats, so I made a couple extra.
After that, I started on the cupcakes, mixing the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa, and baking powder) in one bowl and the wet ingredients (sugar, butter, and eggs) in another before combining them together, along with some milk. These then went in cupcake trays with a couple chocolate chips on top, and went into the oven for 16 minutes at 350 degrees.
While those were cooling, I made up my blueberry frosting. I started by blending a cup of butter until it was smooth and then alternated adding powdered sugar and blueberry pie filling until I had the consistency I wanted. I loved the color the blueberries turned the frosting – a perfect match for my new book!
Then, it was time for my favorite part: decorating! I added two kinds of sprinkles to the top.
And, for the final touch, I pulled my frozen chocolate-covered blueberries out of the oven and plopped them on top. And there you have it: a tasty treat for an afternoon of train riding, reading, or traveling through time.
About The Cassandra Complex:
Cass is a 22nd century university student who – like most young adults – has always believed her parents were a bit stuck in the past. But on her eighteenth birthday she learns exactly how true this is: not only are her parents time travelers, living in an era different than either was born in, but now, to ensure that history plays out as it’s supposed to, she must travel to the year 1914 to live out her adult life.
Cass isn’t the type, though, to just sit back and watch while all the tragic events she’s learned about in her history courses play out in front of her. Not when she’s the only one in the world with the foreknowledge – and determination – to change it.
The Cassandra Complex: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes/Apple Books | World Weaver Press
About the author:
THE CASSANDRA COMPLEX Chocolate Blueberry Cupcakes by Wendy Nikel
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup butter
- 4 eggs
- 3 Tablespoons milk
- chocolate chips
Frosting:
- 1 cup butter
- 4 cups confectioners' sugar
- 6 Tablespoons blueberry pie filling
Topping:
- Blueberries
- Melted chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Sift together flour, cocoa, and baking powder.
- In separate bowl, blend sugar and butter.
- Add eggs to sugar mixture one at a time.
- Gradually add the dry mixture and milk into the sugar mixture until well blended.
- Fill cupcake liners half full, add a few chocolate chips on the top, and bake for 15-17 minutes. Let cool.
- Melt chocolate chips and make nickel-sized dots on waxed paper. Create a pyramid of blueberries on each dot, with 4 berries on the bottom and 1 on the top. Drizzle melted chocolate over them, sprinkle with sea salt, and freeze.
- Beat butter until creamy. Alternate adding 1c powdered sugar and 2T pie filling, mixing well after each addition, until all ingredients are mixed in.
- After cupcakes are cool, frost and top with frozen blueberries and sprinkles. Enjoy with a good book!
Bready or Not Original: Caramel Apple Chip Blondies
Caramel Apple Chip Blondies! This recipe is what happens for you buy a big bag of apple chips at Costco and your kid doesn’t like them.
Apple chips are pretty expensive at the grocery store, so buying them at a big membership club is a great way to get them. They are seriously delicious, crisp like potato chips but made of pure apples.
When baking with apple chips, break them into small pieces. They will soften up as they bake, taking on a raisin-like chewy texture with loads of apple flavor. Larger pieces will be even chewier, though, and get caught on the knife when slicing.
The chips are easy to break up. You can do it with your fingers or throw them into a sealed sandwich bag and smash them with a rolling pin of the bottom of a heavy glass.
In the end, these blondies are sweet and chewy with a mild but very present apple flavor throughout that’s complemented nicely by the caramel and white chocolate chips.
Bready or Not Original: Caramel Apple Chip Blondies
Ingredients
- 2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup caramel chips
- 1 1/2 cup apple chips crumbled, Bare Brand recommended
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil and apply nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix butter and sugars together until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Slowly add dry ingredients. Stir in the white chocolate and caramel chips followed by the apple chips.
- Pour blondie dough into the prepared pan and smooth out with uneven spatula.
- Bake for 28 to 30 minutes or until the top of the blondies are light golden brown and the middle passes the toothpick test. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.
- Once they are cool, use foil to lift blondies onto cutting board to slice into bars.
- OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Cheesecake Brownies
Cheesecake Brownies. Beautiful to behold. Delicious to eat.
I’m not a cheesecake person. But the pairing of chocolate and cheesecake? That makes it work.
This recipe is all about that balance of different kinds of sweetness. The addition of semisweet chocolate chips complements both and adds a different texture, too.
I have to say, I love the swirl effect on the top of these brownies. There’s something especially pleasing about food that looks as amazing as it tastes.
If you want a similar, stronger (and more expensive) pairing, my Swirled Goat Cheese Brownies will also interest you.
Modified from All Recipes Magazines, November 2017.
Bready or Not: Cheesecake Brownies
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 3/4 cup white sugar divided
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips divided
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line an 8x8 or 9x9 pan with heavy foil and apply butter or nonstick spray.
- Beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 egg until fairly smooth; some small chunks are fine. Stir in 1 cup chocolate chips.
- In a microwave safe bowl, heat the butter and remaining 1 cup chocolate chips in brief bursts until fully melted and smooth; watch it carefully and stir well between each burst. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, followed by the 2 eggs, flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Pour half the chocolate batter into the ready pan and spread into an even layer. Gently spread the cream cheese batter on top. Drop dollops of the rest of the chocolate batter on top. Use a butter knife or narrow spatula to swirl the layers together for a marbled effect.
- Bake until the top is crinkled and edges are pulling away from the sides of the pan, about 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool at room temperature for an hour, then stash in the fridge for another few hours to completely cool.
- Use the foil to lift the contents onto a cutting board to slice into bars. Store in a sealed container in fridge, waxed paper between stacked layers to prevent stocking, for up to three days, or freeze for later enjoyment.
- OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Cranberry Candied Ginger Blondies
Cranberry Candied Ginger Blondies pack tart cranberries, zesty little nuggets of candied ginger, and mellow white chocolate in a chewy blondie base, to delicious results.
This begins a small spate of dried cranberry recipes that will be on Bready or Not over the next while.
This is because I bought a massive bag of dried cranberries on sale at Costco, and I had an existing stockpile to use up, too. Cue a “oh crap, I need to use up some of this stuff!” response.
This recipe proved to be a fantastic one, too. The blondies are sweet and chewy, and that combination of dried cranberries, candied ginger, and white chocolate complements and contrasts in an amazing way.
I’ve been asked before about where to find candied ginger. Sometimes brands will sell it jarred alongside spices on the grocery store aisle. Also, check the bins at your local health food store or co-op. I’ve bought candied ginger at my local Sprouts.
The good news is that candied ginger (like dried cranberries) keeps well for ages, so you can stock up and enjoy it for months. Though space might be an issue if you’re buying at Costco…
Bready or Not Original: Cranberry Candied Ginger Blondies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup candied ginger chopped
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a 13x9 inch dish with aluminum foil and apply nonstick spray.
- Place butter and both sugars in a large bowl and beat until creamed together. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Follow up with the flour, baking powder, and salt, until just combined. Fold in the cranberries, candied ginger, and white chocolate chips.
- Spread batter in the ready pan and even out. Bake for 27 to 30 minutes, until edges are firm and the middle passes the toothpick test. Cool on a wire rack.
- Use foil to list contents onto cutting board. Slice into pieces. Store in an sealed container at room temperature.
- OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Pecan Caramel Chip Cookies
I love creating new recipes using my favorite grocery find in recent years, caramel chips! This original recipe for Pecan Caramel Chip Cookies is sublime and delicious.
This recipe was inspired by my favorite recipe for White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies. The secret to success in that recipe is white chocolate chips are melted and mixed into the dough.
I considered a bag of caramel chips and thought, hey, if it worked for white chocolate chips, why not caramel?
I opted to use pecans because 1) they go so well with caramel, and 2) they are cheaper and generally more accessible to people.
The melted caramel chips don’t simply add sweetness to the dough, but a smooth, silky texture that helps these cookies to bake up fat and chewy.
You might need to hunt around for caramel chips. I’m still mad that my local Walmart carried them for a year then stopped, but most grocery stores around still carry them. Kroger even stocks their own version, which doesn’t look or taste quite as amazing as Hershey’s or Ghirardelli’s, but it’s still good. And cheaper, for sure.
Bready or Not Original: Pecan Caramel Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 bag caramel chips divided
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar packed
- 11 Tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325-degrees. Place 1 cup of caramel chips in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on 50% power in short increments, 20-25 seconds, and stop to stir between passes until the chips blend smoothly. Set aside to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together both sugars, butter, vanilla extract, and eggs until they're creamy. Mix in the melted chips. Stir in flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Fold in the remaining caramel chips, chocolate chips, and chopped pecans.
- Use a tablespoon cookie scoop or spoon to place dough in rounded lumps on cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until the tops just begin to turn light golden brown. Cool on the sheet for several minutes, then move to a rack to cool.
- OM NOM NOM!
