Apricot & Pistachio Blondies

Beginning to feel the Christmassy mood now but lazy to do any "complicated holiday baking".  Hee... hee ! I love to bake brownies, blondies or cranberry nut bar for the festive season. Glad I could use this easy and fuss free blondie recipe which I like it so much.  With a slight twist, just add in the dried fruits & nuts of your choice and it's done within a short timing.  Baked this apricot and pistachio blondies for our coffee break.  I'm sure this easy to bake recipe comes in handy for any busy hosts running short of time but want to whip up some 'oh! so yummy' treats for the occasion ^-^!

A variation from the previous adapted recipe here

Apricot & Pistachio Blondies
Yield: Makes 9 big squares or 16 smaller squares.
One 8x8-inch baking pan

Ingredients :
112g unsalted butter, melted and cooled.
85g light brown sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
128g all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
60g shelled pistachios
80g dried apricots, chopped roughly

Method :
1) Position the rack in the middle and preheat oven to 180°C.  Line the baking pan with lightly grease parchment paper.

2) In a big mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar until there are no more lumps of brown sugar. Whisk in the beaten egg and vanilla extract.

3) In a separate dry bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and pinch of salt. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and mix until smooth. Fold in half the quantity of pistachios and apricots.

4) Pour mixture into the prepared baking pan and smooth the surface. Scatter the remaining pistachios and apricots over the top and gently press with the back of a big spoon.

5) Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

*Note : Find it difficult to cut the bars neatly on big chunky nut/dried fruit. I will chop the pistachios and dried apricots into smaller pieces in my next attempt.

On a lazy afternoon ... relax and enjoy the chewy tangy and nutty blondie bars over a cup of hot coffee.  Enjoy !

Happy Baking !