• ½ Cup Non-Dairy Margarine
• 1¼ Cup Dark Brown Sugar, Packed
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 Cup Hachiya Persimmon Pulp*
• 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
• ½ Teaspoon Five-Spice Powder
• ¼ Teaspoon Baking Powder
• ½ Teaspoon Salt
• ¾ Cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips, or Dairy-free White Chocolate Chips
• ½ Cup Chopped Walnuts (Optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly grease an 8 × 8-inch square baking pan.

In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together the margarine and brown sugar thoroughly. Once homogeneous, incorporate the vanilla and persimmon pulp, beating until smooth. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, five-spice powder, baking powder, and salt, mixing to distribute the dry ingredients evenly. Add in the chocolate chips, tossing to coat, and slowly add this mixture into your stand mixer. Stir just enough to bring the batter together, and then smooth it evenly into your prepared pan. Bake for 30–50 minutes, at least until the edges are lightly browned and the center appears set. That may seem like an awfully wide range, but it depends on whether you prefer an extremely fudgy, almost-underbaked blondie or a firmer, more cakey one.

The blondies may still be slightly gooey in the inside, but they will continue to cook once removed from the oven. Besides, they are “fudgy” bars, so you don’t want them to dry out! Wait for the blondies to cool completely before cutting.