My Recipe Reviews

Recipe Reviews, Recommendations, Tips and Musings. Thanks for visiting!

blondies

Blonde Orange Bars with Orange Cream Icing

by

 
These were originally called orange brownies but, come on, they’re not brown.

Bret said they should be called orangies, but that didn’t look quite right written down, so bars they are! Whatever you want to call them,  you’ll love the results!

Blonde Orange Brownies1
Orange and lemon are two of my favorite flavors and when I saw this recipe, the flakes of orange zest and the gooey icing really caught my attention.

Blonde Orange Bars with Orange Cream Icing are everything I thought they’d be – a rich and chewy orange bar with a creamy, fluffy delicious icing.

Blonde Orange Brownies2
Although we can get oranges all year long, the citrus season (Jan/Feb/March-ish) is winding down and I really wanted to make a recipe with oranges while they’re still at their best.

These bars are delicious! Great with coffee, great with milk, great alone…. Enjoy!

Blonde Orange Brownies3

Blonde Orange Brownies

Blonde Orange Bars with Orange Cream Cheese Icing

Yield: 20 - 24 bars
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 27 minutes
Total Time: 47 minutes

Adapted slightly from DessertNowDinnerLater.com .  Delicious and easy to make!

Ingredients

  • 1 C (2 sticks) butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 C sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 tsp pure orange extract
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp orange zest
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 C all-purpose flour
  • Orange Cream Icing:
  • 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
  • 4 tbsp butter, , softened
  • 2 tbsp orange zest
  • 3 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 2 1/2 C . powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease the bottom of a 13x9x2" pan or use buttered parchment paper.
  2. Cream the butter and sugar until creamy and slightly fluffy.  Add the eggs and mix well.  Add the orange and vanilla extracts and orange zest  and mix, scraping the sides of the bowl when needed.  
  3. Add the salt and flour - mix until just combined.  Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-27 minutes - toothpick should come out clean.
  4. For the glaze, combine the cream cheese and butter and beat until it's creamy and there are no lumps.  Add the orange zest, orange juice and powdered sugar - blend well.
  5. While the base is still hot, poke holes in it with a fork and spread the icing over the bar base. Let it cool to room temperature.  Keep refrigerated if not serving right away.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

This took one giant orange and one medium orange to get the zest.  Plan on three medium oranges.

I used aluminum foil in the bottom of my pan so I could lift them up and turn them out.  It didn't separate from the foil very well, so either use just a greased pan or, if you're wanting to turn them out, use the buttered parchment paper and butter the sides of the pan, too.

The batter will be spread fairly thinly in the baking pan - don't worry, it will fluff up a little and the bars will be the perfect consistency.

Yummy.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1 bar
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 154Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 126mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 0gSugar: 25gProtein: 2g

Nutrition Values are Approximate

© sblades
Category: Bars

White Chocolate Cherry Blondies

by

 
Many of you who know me well also know that I’m an avid Starbuck’s fan. I didn’t start drinking coffee until after the age of thirty, but when I did, I did so with great gusto.

Life without coffee would be the pits, although lately I can’t drink caffeine after about 2 p.m. or I’ll be up watching infomercials until 3 a.m.

For this White Chocolate Cherry Blondies recipe, however, I’ll make an exception. This is a knock-off of the good old Starbuck’s Cranberry Bliss bars, except for the substitution of wonderful sweet/tart Montmorency dried cherries instead of cranberries. They’re even better than I remembered!

White Chocolate Cherry Blondies

The thick fluffy cream cheese and white chocolate frosting with orange zest complements the dense and rich blondie that’s filled with cherries and chunks of white chocolate.

As if that’s not enough, let’s sprinkle some cherries on top and drizzle with more white chocolate! They’re just incredible.

White Chocolate Cherry Blondies2

As holiday baking is winding down, I’ve determined that this is my favorite Christmas recipe this year.

If you try any of the Christmas goodies I’ve posted, definitely try these White Chocolate Cherry Blondies!

White Chocolate Cherry Blondies

White Chocolate Cherry Blondies

Yield: 25 - 30
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Outstanding base sprinkled with cherries and a creamy cream cheese, white chocolate frosting.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 C butter
  • 1 1/2 C packed light brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 1/4 C flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 C dried cherries,  chopped
  • 4 oz white baking chocolate, ,coarsely chopped
  • Frosting:
  • 1 pkg., (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
  • 1 C confectioners sugar
  • 1 tbsp grated orange peel
  • 4 oz white baking chocolate, melted
  • 1/2 C dried cherries, chopped

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a microwave, melt the butter and stir in the brown sugar.  Transfer to a large bowl; cool for a few minutes.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and add the vanilla.
  2. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Gradually add to the butter mixture and mix until combined.  Stir in the cherries and chopped chocolate.  The batter will be thick and a little sticky.
  3. Prepare a 13"x9" baking dish by lining with aluminum foil that sticks out at each end by about 2 inches.  Spray the foil lightly with nonstick spray.  Spread the batter into the dish and bake for 18-20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
  4. Lift the aluminum foil out of the baking dish, peel away from the baked blondie and let cool completely on a wire rack.
  5. For the frosting, beat the cream cheese, confectioners sugar and orange peel until thick and smooth.  Gradually add the melted white chocolate and beat until blended.  Frost the blondies and sprinkle with the remaining dried cherries.  
  6. If you wish, melt another 2 oz. of white chocolate and drizzle over the top of the blondies.  Store in the refrigerator.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

You can use cranberries, too - they're a brighter red for the season.  I prefer the taste of cherries.

I used Ghirardelli white chocolate baking bars - they melt much more smoothly than the chips or blocks.

I like to use the aluminum foil while baking these because you can cut those triangles so much easier if the entire blondie is lifted out of the pan to cool.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 30 Serving Size: 1 blondie
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 199Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 96mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 2gSugar: 16gProtein: 3g

Nutrition Values are Approximate

© sblades
Category: Bars