You see that healthy eating and fitness bandwagon I was on… well I fell off.
I would absolutely love to tell you these are guilt-free, low fat, zero calorie white chocolate and pecan blondies, but that would be lying.
Presenting soft, buttery, worth-every-calorie white chocolate and pecan blondies.
75g shelled pecans
75g white chocolate, chopped
175 plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons malted milk powder – after some googling I learned this is Ovaltine
a pinch of salt
125g softened butter
175g unrefined sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
75g white chocolate chips
a 20cm/8-inch square baking tin, greased and lined with greased baking parchment
Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F) Gas 3.
Tip the pecans onto a baking sheet and lightly toast in the preheated oven for 5 minutes. Roughly chop and leave to cool. Leave the oven on for the brownies.
Melt the chopped white chocolate either in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water or in the microwave on a low setting. Or in the lid of a Pyrex container over the Pyrex bowl of boiled water from the kettle. Ensure the lid does not touch the water.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, milk powder and salt.
In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until pale and light. Gradually add the eggs, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract. Add the melted chocolate and stir until combined. Fold the sifted dry ingredients into the bowl until well incorporated, then stir in the chocolate chips and chopped pecans.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking tin, spread level and bake on the middle shelf of the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the brownies are golden and just cooked.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely in the tin before removing and cutting into 16 squares to serve. For once, these were actually allowed to cool completely before being cut and devoured. I can imagine it would be perfect warm cookie dough with ice cream accompanied by a Sex and the City marathon.
I took a few of them to work because the temptation was too great for us to be left alone together.
The few (hundred) I ate were seriously good. “Better than brownies,” says Mum and Dad.
These are amazing. I sampled these last night and woke up today with a smile. I do however recommend that these are consumed in solitude as they have the potential to cause an argument if sharing. Great job harleigh, ab fab.Dr Ken.