How to Make Blondies: Felicity Cloake's Recipe

Ingredients

  • 165g butter, plus extra for greasing
  • 75g shelled pecans
  • 170g white chocolate
  • 225g plain flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp fine salt
  • 175g light brown sugar
  • 50g demerara sugar
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Sea salt flakes, optional

Method

  1. Melt the Butter:

    • Cut 165g butter into cubes.
    • Melt in a medium-low heat pan until it turns nutty brown. Pour into a heatproof jug to cool.

  2. Toast the Nuts:

    • Roughly chop 75g pecans.
    • Toast them in the same pan until aromatic. Set aside.

  3. Chop the Chocolate:

    • Roughly chop 170g of white chocolate (or use milk/dark chocolate if preferred).

  4. Prepare the Batter:

    • Preheat oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 5.
    • Sift 225g flour, 1 tsp baking powder, and ½ tsp salt into a large bowl.
    • Beat the sugars into the cooled butter until dissolved, then mix in the eggs and vanilla.

  5. Combine Ingredients:

    • Stir the wet mixture into the flour mix until no dry patches remain.
    • Fold in the white chocolate and pecans gently to avoid overmixing.

  6. Bake the Blondie Mix:

    • Spoon the batter into a 20cm square tin lined with baking paper.
    • Bake for 22-25 minutes until set on top but still squidgy underneath.

  7. Cool and Cut:

    • Plunge the tin into shallow iced water to cool.
    • Cut into squares and optionally sprinkle with sea salt.

  8. Storage Tips:

    • Wrap cooled squares individually and freeze on a baking tray.
    • Transfer frozen squares to a freezer bag.

Felicity Cloake’s detailed steps ensure a fudgy texture for your blondies.