Eggnog Blondies

Eggnog is a holiday favorite of mine that I serve up all season. Although it’s a drink, I don’t always serve it up as a beverage. Instead, I incorporate eggnog into a variety of different treats to offer up to guests at brunch and dessert throughout the holidays. These Eggnog Blondies are an easy to make bar cookie that is inspired by the vanilla and nutmeg flavors in eggnog.

The bars come together quickly and easily. They have a generous amount of vanilla extract and freshly ground nutmeg, along with a splash of prepared eggnog. When it comes to the vanilla, you can use vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste, which will give the blondies a vanilla-flecked look. The nutmeg should be freshly grated, as it is a spice that looses flavor quickly after it has been ground. If you only have pre-ground nutmeg (unless your container is very fresh), be a little generous when you add it in to make up for the fact that it may have lost some of its peppery character.

The finished bars have a crisp outer edge and are perfectly chewy in the center. While I don’t always add leavening to my blondies – since I want that chewy, dense texture that you get in brownies – I added a pinch to this recipe because it has additional liquid in the batter. They really do taste like eggnog, with plenty of creamy vanilla and spicy nutmeg. If you’re an eggnog fan, you will find these to be downright addictive. And they should be a huge hit with holiday guests – even if they’re not usually eggnog fans to begin with.

The bars are ready to eat as soon as they have cooled, and can be cut into large or small pieces depending on how many you need to serve. They’ll keep for about 2 days after baking if stored in an airtight container.

Eggnog Blondies
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
2 tbsp eggnog
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper and lightly grease.
In a large bowl, whisk together sugar and egg. Whisk in melted butter, followed by vanilla extract, nutmeg and eggnog, and mix until ingredients are well-combined. Add in flour, salt and baking soda and mix until batter is uniform, with no streaks of dry ingredients remaining. Pour into prepared pan and spread into an even layer.
Bake for 35 minutes, or until blondies are set and golden at the edges. Allow blondies to cool in the pan before slicing.

Makes 12-16.