[Cookie 051] White Chocolate-Gingerbread Blondies

Phew!

Okay, this past week was so beyond insane I can't actually believe that I survived. I'm now working 2 jobs, one at school and one at this truly fabulous hat store! Selling hats! Yes! But, it's a hat store for night owls, and is open until 12 am half the week, and 1:30 am for the other half of the week. I'm working the late shift, so I've been pretty tired/busy/ahhhomgFINALS! Just wanted to let you guys know, though, that I'm still here and am still going to be here. Once I write this lame-o paper on Jackson Pollock I'll be golden and I'll be baking/updating a lot more often. The end of the semester is right around the corner, and it smells like gingerbread and chocolate meringues.

In other news, some other web journalist/blogger (sorry for the over-abundance of slashes) spent a good amount of time and effort writing a quite succinct little review of my blog here, and let's just say, it was oddly .... critical? I don't know, I was quite bemused by it because it seems that this journalist already tried baking all the Martha cookies from this book, and now I guess feels that I'm either a) ripping her off or b) some how doing an inadequate job of "cooking the book." I dunno, it was all very strange, considering that I'm not trying to prove anything with this blog, and though I love all of my readers dearly (and I tell no lie when I say that!), first and foremost, this is a project that I'm doing for myself! I like to bake. I like cookies. I like making little projects for myself on the side. And I really don't think I have to justify anything whatsoever regarding this site. Ah, sigh, I guess this all comes with the price of fame, no?

Sorry, just had to get that done with.

But, really now, who wants to read about my complaining, right? Cookies are why you're here--and why I'm here. So without further ado, let's get down to it. Although I baked these cookies ages and ages ago--or at least that's how it seems--I still remember them quite well, because I really really liked them!

As you can see, these White Chocolate-Gingerbread Blondies are another bar-type cookie and are formed in a similar manner as the Iced Hermits were, utilizing a rimmed cookie sheet to bake one, solid mega-cookie which then gets sliced and diced. It's all quite simple to do, and the flavors are really nice. I love the ginger-molasses spiciness paired with the super sweetness of the white chocolate chips. I never would have guessed those two would go together, but they really work in this cookie.

Again, it is a little annoying spreading the dough across your parchment paper or Silpat on your baking sheet, but you don't really have to get it all the way to the borders because the dough expands a good amount while baking. I was pretty surprised that when I pulled the sheet out of the oven that the dough had filled up the whole sheet really nicely and puffed up quite a bit too.

Ah yes, and lest I forget, these cookies pair nicely with a nice glass of Pinot Grigio, if that's your thing. And when I say "pair nicely," I actually mean that my roommate's dad gave her a nice bottle of white wine and we just happened to drink it while eating these cookies. I know nothing about wine pairings. But regardless, cookies + wine = high brow evening, if I do say so.

Now, bake away! Kiss kiss!

White Chocolate-Gingerbread Blondies

Makes about 4 dozen 2-inch squares

Ingredients

• Vegetable-oil cooking spray
• 2 3/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 1/2 sticks (20 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk
• 1 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup unsulfured molasses
• 10 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 17-by-12-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Line bottom with parchment cut to fit, and coat parchment. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices.
2. Beat butter and brown and granulated sugars with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs and yolk, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla and molasses. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture, and beat until just combined. Stir in white chocolate.
3. Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake until edges are golden, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Cut into 2-inch squares or desired shape. Blondies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

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{End Results}
Baking Difficultly: 2/5
Ingredient Accessibility: 4/5
Tastiness: 4/5
Attractiveness: 3/5 (Kind of boring looking, but the white chips are nice, right?)
Is it worth it?: Totes. I mean totally. I'm sorry for that horrid abbrev. Ah!

{Pairings}
Drink: Pinot Grigio, amirite??

Song: Busy Little Bee -- Oneida
Activity: Studying for finals! Or, if you're not a student, maybe you could just write my Pollock essay for me--I'll bake you cookies!