How could I have got to the age that I am and never tasted a blondie?! To be honest, I’d never even heard of them until fairly recently. From the photos of them that I’ve seen, they look like something I’d really enjoy. That’s why I’ve decided to make a batch of pecan blondies for this week’s Cakes & Bakes.
Blondies are US tray bake rectangles similar to brownies. Where they differ, is that the former contain no cocoa and have brown sugar and vanilla instead. Apparently, from what I’ve discovered online, as well as pecans, they can be made with walnuts, chocolate chips or coconut.
The addition of the aforementioned soft brown sugar gives the blondies an amazing caramel… butterscotch… toffee flavour and smell. Similar to brownies, my pecan blondies were soft and gooey with a slightly crunchy crust around the edges.
They go down a treat with an espresso or mug of strong coffee. Tomorrow, I might try a piece warmed up with ice cream or pouring cream… or both!
Click here to post the recipe to Pinterest
Pecan blondies
Ingredients
- 115 g/4oz butter melted
- 200 g/7oz soft brown sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ tsp vanilla paste
- 150 g/5oz plain flour
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- small pinch of salt
- 50 g/1¾oz pecans chopped + 8 pecan halves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to /175ºC/350°F/Gas mark 4
- Line a 20cm2/8-inch2 baking tin with parchment paper
- Whisk together the butter, brown sugar in a medium-sized mixing bowl
- Whisk in the egg and vanilla
- Toss the pecan halves in the flour and set them aside
- Sift over the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt and fold in using a spatula
- Fold in the chopped pecans
- Spoon the dough into the prepared tin and level out and into the corners
- Lay the floured pecan halves across the top, spaced evenly apart
- Bake for 30 minutes until the edges begin to turn brown and come away from the sides of the tin
- Remove from the oven and allow the square to cool completely in the tin on a wire rack
- Lift the square out of the pan and onto a chopping board or work surface and cut into 8 equal pieces
Tip: Toss the pecan halves in flour to stop them from sinking during baking.
Instead of pecans, you could use walnuts, chocolate chips or dessicated coconut