Crystallized Ginger and Salted Pistachio Blondies
Sixteen Blondies
8 ounces unsalted butter (2 sticks)
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp fine sea salt
2 tsps Chinese Five Spice powder
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla paste
¾ cup toasted and salted pistachios (unshelled)
1 cup white chocolate chips (divided in to ½ for batter and ½ cup for decoration)
½ cup crystallized ginger, chopped into a fine dice (save 2 Tbsp to sprinkle over baked blondies)
1) Heat your oven to 350 degrees and line a 7” by 11” baking pan with parchment paper.
2) Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat or in the microwave. Set aside to cool slightly.
3) In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and Chinese Five-Spice.
4) In a standing mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk the eggs and sugar on medium high until they are doubled in size and creating a ribbon on the surface.
5) Turn the mixer to low and slowly pour in the melted butter and then add the vanilla paste.
6) Remove the mixing bowl from the mixer and gently fold in the dry mix and then the additions: the pistachios, ½ of the white chocolate chips and most of the finely diced crystallized ginger (saving 2 Tbsp for decoration).
7) Turn the batter into the baking pan and even the top with a spatula. Bake the blondie for roughly 25 minutes until just cooked through and starting to brown.
8) Remove the baking pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool. Sprinkle the remaining crystallized ginger on the top of the blondies while still hot.
9) While the blondies cool, melt the remaining white chocolate chips using either a double boiler or the microwave (10 second zaps – stirring between zaps). When the blondies are cool to the touch, drizzle the white chocolate over as desired.
10) Cut the blondies into 16 squares and serve.
