So I made these last Christmas but didn’t have time to post the before the holiday. While I think festive foods and traditions are valid at any time of year, it didn’t really feel like a great thing to post once the moment had officially passed. Not everyone has the same open mind that maybe it’s not so bad to leave the tree up awhile or eat candy canes in the middle of June. Don’t even get me started on my year round, unyielding love of gingerbread houses.
This extends to other holidays for me too. Give me cranberries any day. Marshmallow Peeps, coloring eggs, and floppy eared bunnies are a win every single day of life. It’s really best if I can celebrate all of them at once. Valen-East-oween-thank-mas anyone? Maybe not …
I guess the thing is life should be a fun celebration whenever possible. And if I catch a glimpse of my little skeleton rubber duck from Halloween when I’m in the weeds working on a baking project or stressed about a household task and it makes me smile, I call that a win.
I’ve thought about these bars since, and I really need to make another batch. Like I’m practically salivating just looking at the pictures and thinking about all the textures. The dense, blondie like texture of the actual bar that is out of this world all on its own. The crunchy nuts. The chewy dried fruit. The hunks of almond butter I traded for marzipan since I didn’t have any on hand. These bars are the stuff of dreams.
They are in the spirit and tradition of the classic holiday bread, and so they are perfect for any Christmas celebration.
I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and happy holiday season!!
Stollen Blondie Bars
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 10-12 servings 1x
Description
A Christmas classic simplified but with all the flavor still intact. Subtle spice, crunchy almonds, chewy dried fruit, and comforting marzipan make for one irresistible holiday treat.
Ingredients
Bars
2 cups paleo flour blend (2 cups almond flour, 1 ½ cup tapioca starch, ¾ cup coconut flour)
2/3 cup almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground cloves
¾ cup coconut oil, room temperature
¾ cup coconut sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla bean powder
Zest of 1 orange
1 large egg
¾ cup raisins, dried cherries, or a combination
1 cup toasted almonds or other nut of your choosing
Faux-marzipan
1 cup creamy almond butter
¼ cup tapioca starch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup maple syrup
Glaze
1/3 cup coconut butter
1/3 cup maple syrup
¼ cup fresh orange juice
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the faux-marzipan. In a medium bowl, stir together almond butter, tapioca starch, vanilla, and maple syrup until well combined. The mixture should be thick and sticky. If it is too thin, add another tablespoon or two of tapioca starch.
Make the bars. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/ 325 degrees F convection. Oil an 8 inch square pan.
In a large bowl, cream the coconut oil and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and orange, followed by the egg. Stir in the flour, almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and cloves until just combined.
Stir in the raisins and almonds. Finish the batter by breaking the marzipan into chunks and folding it in. Bake for about 25 minutes, until golden brown on top but still slightly soft to the touch.
Make the glaze while the bars bake. In a medium microwave safe bowl, heat the coconut butter and maple syrup in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until fully melted. Stir in the orange juice and vanilla. Pour over the hot bars. Allow to cool completely in the pan. Bars may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up 1 week.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Molly Yeh
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
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