These chewy, gooey blondies studded with jammy cranberries and toasted pecans get extra flavor and tender texture from smoky chestnut flour. Look for chestnut flour at well-stocked grocers with other alternative flours, Italian markets, or
order it online. My book
Alternative Baker has more ways to use it! If you don't have chestnut flour on hand, I think you could trade in any gluten-free all-purpose flour blend in place of the chestnut and sweet rice flours. Or try using 1/2 cup oat flour in place of the chestnut flour. (I haven't tried these options yet, so please leave a comment if you give either one a go!) Organic brown sugar has more molasses than conventional, so if conventional is all you've got, go with dark brown sugar instead. Since these blondies get a lot of moisture from fresh cranberries, take care not to underbake them. I like to store mine in the fridge to keep them from getting too soft. Chilling them before you drizzle and slice makes them easier to handle and less prone to cracking.