H is for Hot Cross Blondies

Since I can't bring myself to buy Hot Cross Buns before Good Friday (blame the family tradition growing up) I am trying out this solution - Hot Cross Brownies or to be specific Hot Cross Blondies and Hot Cross Brownies.  Blondies being the same as brownies only made on white chocolate rather than dark chocolate.  I had seen a review on the Internet of a bakery's version of Hot Cross Brownies but with no recipe provided I had to come up with my own.  I still think the flavours and moistness (is that a word?) need a little tweaking but this version is a good start.

Hot Cross Blondies
Download the printable recipe card here.

Ingredients
100g unsalted butter
100g white chocolate
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 cup self raising flour
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon

50g dark chocolate, melted for topping

Method
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
2. Grease a 20cm square baking tin and line the base with baking paper.

3. Melt the butter and white chocolate in a bowl.  We did ours in the microwave but you could also melt them in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Allow to cool slightly.

Nice bunny tatt Bear! Luckily it washes off.

4. Add the sugar to the melted butter and chocolate and mix well.
5. Gradually stir in the eggs.  This is when you don't want the chocolate mixture too hot or the eggs will scramble.
6. Add the vanilla.

7. Fold in the flour and spices and then pour the mixture into the prepared tin.
8. Bake for 25-30 minutes.  Keep a close watch towards to the end as you don't want to overcook the blondies or let them brown too much.
9. Allow to cool in the tin before cutting into squares.

10. Using a piping bag or a sandwich bag with the corner snipped off, pipe the melted chocolate on top of the blondies in a cross pattern.

Seeing I had two willing helpers in the kitchen, we also made a Hot Cross Brownie version.  Just use a good chocolate brownie recipe and add in 1 teaspoon of mixed spice and one teaspoon of cinnamon.  They would look very effective with white chocolate crosses on top.

These Hot Cross Blondies (and Brownies) look really cute presented in these adorable Bunny Boxes from Martha Stewart.  I didn't enlarge the boxes as per the instructions.  If you print it out at the current size on some light card stock it is perfect for a brownie or two!