Ingredients:

  • 1 cup (227 g) Unsalted Butter, cut into cubes
  • 1 cup (200 g) Light Brown Sugar, packed
  • 1/4 cup (50 g) Granulated Sugar
  • 1 Large Egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon (5 ml) Vanilla Extract
  • 2 1/4 cups (270 g) All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 teaspoon (5 g) Baking Powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) Salt
  • Zest of 1 small orange
  • 3 cups (340 g) Fresh or Frozen Cranberries
  • 1/2 cup (100 g) Granulated Sugar (for filling)
  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) Water or Orange Juice
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed
  • 1 tablespoon (8 g) Cornstarch (Cornflour)

Instructions:

  1. Prepare the Browned Butter: Melt the cubed butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Continue cooking until the butter foams, the milk solids fall to the bottom, and they turn a rich amber brown. Immediately pour the browned butter (including the brown bits) into a heatproof bowl and let it cool slightly for about 15 minutes.
  2. Make the Cranberry Filling: In a medium saucepan, combine the cranberries, filling sugar, water/orange juice, and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until the berries start to burst and soften. Mix the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water to create a slurry and stir it into the cranberry mixture. Cook for 1 minute more until thickened. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
  3. Mix and Chill the Blondie Dough: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8x8 inch pan with parchment paper. Whisk the cooled browned butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large bowl. Whisk in the egg, vanilla extract, and orange zest until smooth. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt, then gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet until just combined. Wrap 1/3 of the dough in cling film and place it in the freezer for 15-20 minutes.
  4. Assemble and Bake the Bars: Press the remaining 2/3 of the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread the cooled cranberry filling evenly over the dough base. Remove the chilled dough from the freezer and use your hands to crumble the dough mixture evenly over the top of the cranberry filling. Bake for 45–50 minutes, or until the crumble topping is deep golden brown.
  5. Cool and Serve: Transfer the pan to a wire rack. Crucially, allow the bars to cool completely to room temperature (2-3 hours). Once fully cool, use the parchment paper sling to lift the bars out of the pan and slice into 16 squares.