Milk Chocolate Mocha Blondies

It’s easiest to freeze the bars without the glaze topping, then glaze before serving. To freeze, cool blondies completely. Cut into squares and layer between sheets of parchment paper in a freezer-friendly container. Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then bring to room temperature before glazing and serving.

9-inch Square Pan | Parchment Paper | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Silicone Spatula

You need 1 cup minus 2 Tbsp of butter. I typically use 1 cup (16 Tbsp) in my blondies, but reduced it down to 14 Tbsp here. With 1 cup, the blondies can sometimes taste greasy.

Espresso powder is like instant espresso. You can find it in the coffee aisle or purchase it online. Use it in both the blondie batter and glaze. Use 4 teaspoons (recommended) in the blondie batter for rich coffee flavor or 3 teaspoons (1 Tablespoon) for a milder flavor. You can substitute instant coffee granules (not ground coffee) if needed. If using instant coffee, I recommend using 4 and 1/2 teaspoons in the blondie batter and for the glaze, use 1 teaspoon dissolved in 1 Tablespoon warm water.

I used Guittard Organic Milk Chocolate Baking Wafers in the pictured blondies. I found them at my regular grocery store. Feel free to use milk chocolate chips or chopped Hershey’s bars. Instead of milk chocolate, use the same amount of white chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, or dark chocolate. Chips, chunks, wafers, or 2 chopped 4-ounce bars.

A 9-inch square pan is best. An 8-inch square pan is a little too small. You can spread the batter into a 9×13-inch pan for thinner blondies. Do your best to spread the batter to each edge of the pan. Bake time is around 28-30 minutes.