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A vertical stack of five eggnog blondies on parchment paper.

Eggnog Blondies with Warm Winter Spices

Linda Feller
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Prep time.40 minutes
Cook time.25 minutes
Custom time.2 hours
Total time.3 hours 5 minutes
Course.Dessert
Cuisine.American
Number of servings.24 makes 24 bars
Calories per serving.142 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Brown Butter Blondies:

  • ½ cup unsalted butter, (1 stick) plus a little extra to grease the pan
  • 6 tablespoons shelled raw unsalted pistachios, roughly chopped, divided
  • 1 cup + 2 tablespoons, all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt, (or 1/4 tsp table salt)
  • ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 3 tablespoons full-fat eggnog, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1½ teaspoons rum or bourbon, (optional)
  • 3 ounces white chocolate bar, chopped into chunks
  • generous pinch flaky sea salt, like Maldon, for sprinkling before baking, (optional)

Warm Winter Spices:

  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, (a heaping 1/4 tsp)
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom, (a heaping 1/4 tsp)
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 pinch ground cloves
  • 1 pinch finely ground black pepper

Eggnog Glaze:

  • ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1½ teaspoons reserved brown butter, (see step 2)
  • 1-2 tablespoons full-fat eggnog
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract, or 1/2 tsp dark rum
  • 1 pinch grated nutmeg
  • 1 pinch kosher salt

Instructions

  • Heat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 8x8-inch metal pan, and line with parchment, leaving an overhang on two sides for lifting. Lightly butter the parchment.
  • Melt the butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Keep swirling as it foams, goes quiet, and the milk solids turn deep amber and smell nutty, 4-6 minutes. Pour it immediately into a medium mixing bowl, scraping in all the brown bits. Spoon 1-1/2 teaspoons into a small dish and reserve for the glaze.
    Brown butter bubbles in a white pan.
  • Let it cool 10 minutes until bathwater warm (about 100–110°F).
    • Still hot after 10 minutes? Pop the bowl in the fridge for 3–5 minutes, stirring once. Too-hot butter dulls the glossy top.
  • Meanwhile, toast the pistachios in a dry skillet over medium-low heat, 3–4 minutes, until fragrant. Cool, then remove 2 tablespoons and finely crush for the topping.
    • Crush the topping into fine crumbs, either in a zip-top bag with a rolling pin or with a few quick pulses in a spice grinder, so it sticks to the glaze. Stop before it turns into paste.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and all the warm winter spices.
  • Whisk both sugars into the warm brown butter until combined and grainy-looking.
    A glass bowl filled with a mixture of brown butter and sugars.
  • Add the egg and whisk vigorously for about 1 minute, until the mixture turns glossy, thick, and lighter in color. Whisk in the eggnog and vanilla (and optional rum or bourbon).
    A glass mixing bowl filled with light brown, speckled liquid batter.
    • You can use a handheld electric mixer on low for this step. Either way, don't cut the whisking short. This is what creates the crackly, shiny top.
  • Fold in the dry ingredients with a spatula just until a few streaks of flour remain, then fold in the white chocolate and the chopped pistachios until no dry flour is visible. Don't overmix or they may bake up cakey and tough.
  • Spread the batter evenly into the pan, and sprinkle with flaky sea salt (if using). Bake 20-25 minutes, rotating once halfway, until the edges are golden and pulling slightly from the pan and the center looks set with just a slight wobble. A toothpick in the center should come out with moist crumbs, not wet batter. Start checking at 20 minutes.
  • Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, about 1 to 1-1/2 hours. (Warm blondies + glaze = a puddle situation.)
  • Rewarm the reserved brown butter if it's solidified. Whisk it with the powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon eggnog, vanilla or rum, nutmeg, and salt until smooth. Add more eggnog by the 1/4 tsp until it's thick but drizzle-able.
  • Lift the blondies out of the pan. Drizzle the glaze over the top in zigzags, then sprinkle with the crushed pistachios. Let set about 30 minutes.
  • Slice into 24 bars (6 rows by 4) with a large knife, wiping it between cuts.
    • For really clean edges, chill for 20-30 minutes before slicing.

Notes

  • Storage: Room temp for a day or two, fridge for 5–7 days, or freezer for up to 3 months. I store mine in the fridge as soon as they're cut.
  • Make ahead: Bake up to 1 day ahead and glaze the day you serve. To freeze, wrap well unglazed, thaw, then glaze.
  • Eggnog: Full-fat store-bought, spiked (skip the added rum) or homemade with pasteurized eggs. Avoid light eggnog. Non-dairy is untested.
  • Flaky salt: Optional, but it balances the sweetness.
  • Doubling: Use a 9x13-inch metal pan and bake about 28–30 minutes, checking at 25. Makes 48 squares.
  • Nut swap: Pecans or macadamias. If using salted pistachios, halve the kosher salt.
  • Serve room temp or cold: My favorite way to enjoy them is straight from the fridge. The cold tempers the sweetness if you don't have a strong sweet tooth.

Nutrition

Calories: 142kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 99mg | Potassium: 72mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 145IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1mg
Keywords.christmas, freezer-friendly, holidays, make ahead, oven, stove top
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