- 1 cup boiling-hot water
- 1 cup dried cranberries (5 oz)
- 1 cup dried tart cherries (5 oz)
- 1 cup golden raisins (5 oz)
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup whole almonds with skins (6 oz), toasted and very coarsely chopped
- 8 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened; preferably 60 to 70% cacao), coarsely chopped
- Special equipment: a 17- by 12-inch shallow baking pan (1 inch deep)
- Accompaniment: eggnog ice cream (optional)
- Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 325°F. Butter and flour baking pan, knocking out excess flour.
- Pour boiling-hot water over dried fruit in a small bowl and soak 20 minutes, then drain well in a sieve.
- Stir together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in another bowl.
- Beat together melted butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to low, then add flour mixture and mix until just combined. Mix in dried fruit, almonds, and chocolate.
- Spread batter evenly in baking pan and bake until golden brown and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a rack. Run a thin knife around edges of pan to loosen blondie, then cut blondie into roughly 3-inch squares.