Recipe: Nut Brown, Banana, White chocolate and Caramel Blondies

"With only the addition of one banana, these Blondies are surprisingly full of the flavour of banana and caramel," writes Mercy Fenton in her weekly column.

"They are perfect as an everyday treat and also will travel well for a picnic or garden party. The hazelnuts can be replaced with toasted almond or macadamia if you wish as both would be delicious. 

"Enjoy slightly warmed with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The nut-brown butter is an absolute must for the best flavour so don’t skip it."

Ingredients

4 free range eggs

250gr soft light brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

250gr butter cooked to nut brown

130gr cream flour

100gr white chocolate chips

100 gr mashed banana

40gr toasted crushed hazelnuts

40gr caramel (home made) or pre caramelized condensed milk from a tin.

To prepare butter:

• Cook the butter to nut brown as below then set aside to cool.
• Melt the butter in a wide, pan over a medium-low heat, swirling to help it along. It will foam and (as a chef once explained to me it will sing - listen carefully!)
• Once the foam has died down, (it stops singing) watch it like a hawk; as soon as the solids at the bottom turn light-coloured from white to toasty brown and the butter smells almost nutty, tip it into a bowl to cool until barely warm.

Method:

• Preheat your oven to 160C.
• Line a 20 x 23 cm tin with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, mix the melted butter and sugar and beat until smooth.
• Add in the eggs and vanilla extract and beat again until smooth.
• (You don’t need to add air - as Blondies, like brownies are meant to be moist and dense)
• Whisk in the mashed banana.
• Next add in the flour and fold in gently, until a thick Blondie mixture is made - it will be ready in a few minutes.
• Add in the chocolate chips, and hazelnuts and then scrape the mixture into the tin, and spread evenly.
• Finally drizzle over with the caramel, this just adds an extra layer of deliciousness.
• Bake the Blondies in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until there is an ever so slight wobble in the middle.
• Leave the Blondies to cool in the tin.
• Before cutting chill to completely set, once portioned they can be left to return to room temperature before serving.
• They will have a moist fudgy texture!
• These are delicious eaten on their own or served with ice cream or cream.