Peppermint Blondies

Do you realise that today is the last time we'll see a date like 12/12/12 in our lifetime? You probably don't care, but it was just a thought that crossed my mind :)

We put up our tree on Monday and it looks lovely! Complete with presents underneath, it's finally feeling like Christmas in our household! I went with green and silver as my colour scheme this year, simple and not too in your face. I don't like really busy trees with a mad array of different coloured baubles on every branch and loads of flashing lights. I always go for plain white static lights and a strict colour scheme :)

I totally made my back worse by decorating the tree though :( My boyfriend just didn't do it right and then he disappeared upstairs to leave me to it, probably best for both of us! I know I was only putting baubles on, but that's what I mean about not being able to move, even that hurt like hell.

Anyway it's done now and I'm looking forward to my day of baking on Friday, even though at the end of it I probably won't feel amazing...

I've worked out exactly how much chocolate, cream, cocoa etc I need and I have to go and buy another 10 bars of chocolate! Haha I'm going to look like a right addict when I go shopping. It's also going to cost about £20, but I truly believe that you should by the best you can afford and I swear by Green and Blacks, I never bake with anything else.

It melts so much better than cheap stuff and is harder to scorch, I've never had a melting go wrong with G&B :) I once tried some Milka as it was on offer and I was making a chocolate buttercream, literally put it in the microwave for 2 more seconds and it was done, finished, bye-bye, only good for the bin.


It's the second of my Choco-mint recipes today and this one is fabulous! I've been walking past the candy canes in the supermarket for weeks now, so tempted to buy some and trying to think what I could make with them. I finally decided on Peppermint Blondies when I saw a similar recipe on Pinterest. I'm so glad I did, because these were so good they should be illegal!

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Makes 9-12 depending on how big you cut them (I cut them big! :D)

Recipe for the blondies adapted from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook 

Ingredients:

> 200g good quality white chocolate (I used Green & Blacks)
> 125g butter
> 150g caster sugar
> 2 eggs
> 1 1/2tsp vanilla extract
> 200g plain flour

Recipe for the frosting adapted from Baked Bree 

Ingredients:

> 100g good quality white chocolate (I used Green & Blacks)
> 1/2 stick (56g) butter
> 1 3/4 cups icing sugar
> 3tbsp sour cream
> 1/2tsp peppermint extract
> 6 candy canes, crushed

Method:

> Grease and line an 8 x 8 inch square tin and preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
> Break the white chocolate into a heatproof bowl and add in the butter.
> Melt the chocolate and butter together by either placing over a simmering saucepan of water or in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir and then place in the microwave for a further 20 seconds. Stir and then place back in the microwave in increments of 10 seconds, stirring between every one, so as not to burn.


> Place to one side to cool slightly.
> Place the sugar, eggs and vanilla extract in a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Whisk until frothy, about 2 minutes.


> Add in the melted chocolate.


> Mix until well combined, then add in the flour. Again, mix until well combined.


> Pour the batter into the cake tin and level it off. Place in the oven for 22-25 minutes until an inserted skewer comes out almost clean.
> Leave to cool in the tin for at least 30 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
> Once the blondies are completely cool, make the frosting.
> Melt the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl.
> Place the butter, icing sugar, sour cream and peppermint extract in a medium sized bowl and beat together until smooth.


> Pour in the melted chocolate.


> Mix until well incorporated.
> Using an angled spatula, smooth the frosting all over the cooled blondies.


> Place the candy canes in a ziploc bag and then bash them into rubble with a rolling pin.


> (I thought I'd need 12 so crushed 12, turns out I didn't need that many...) Using your hands, sprinkle the crushed candy canes over the blondies and then cut into slices. I use a pizza cutter as I find it works so much better.
> Will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.



Enjoy :)

Entered into Thursday's Treasures at Recipes For My Boys and Foodie Friends Friday