It’s been a hectic few weeks in the Epicuriously household with the birth of our beautiful daughter Charlotte. We’re absolutely blessed and smitten with this little bundle of joy. Though it’s been more challenging than we could have ever imagined, we are so thrilled she’s a part of our lives.
I’m still experiencing the “newborn fog”, where I hazily perceive the world through bleary eyes and a sleep-deprived brain. Though I’m still coming to grips with this often manic yet sometimes blissful season of around-the-clock feeding and nappy changes, thankfully I’ve had the help of two old friends – sugar and chocolate. I know it’s not very healthy, but I’m in survival mode right now – whatever it takes to get me through the day… a bit of chocolate for an extra energy boost does make all the difference. 🙂
Thus I’ve rediscovered the perfect chocolate and sugar-hit recipe, AND it is so simple to make. So easy that I even managed to pump out 2 batches while my 6 week old daughter was having a cat-nap. Let me introduce my new favourite slice: the Blondie. It’s just like a brownie, but not as rich so it goes down really easy. It’s just like a decadent slab of choc-chip cookie, crisp on the outside yet deliciously soft and chewy in the middle, YEAH BABY!
Blondies
Serves 12
120g plain flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (or whatever chopped nuts
tickle your fancy)
80g butter
120g brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup chocolate chips
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Grease a 20 cm square baking pan, and line with a sheet of baking paper, leaving a 2cm over-hang
2. Melt the butter in the microwave and set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Add the brown sugar into the melted butter and mix well.
4. Add the egg, vanilla and salt into the brown sugar mixture and beat until well incorporated.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, walnuts and half the chocolate chips. Make a well in the centre and add the brown sugar mixture all in one go. Mix with a wooden spoon until just combined.
5. Spread the batter into the prepared pan (it will appear to be quite thin, but will puff up on baking). Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips on top.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until the centre has just set (it should still look fairly moist, as it will continue to cook once even as it cools).
Remove from the oven and cool in the baking tin.
Once the brownie has cooled, remove from the baking tray by grasping the baking paper overhang. Transfer to a chopping board and slice or break into squares. They are best served on the day of baking, but can be kept in an airtight container for a few days (if they last that long).
