Easter Blondies

There's no denying it, Easter is one of the best times of the year for chocolate lovers. But sometimes, even if you love chocolate it can all get a bit too much and you just have to put those eggs down for another day.

With that in mind, we thought it would be nice to bake something a bit different this Eastertime: Easter Blondies! They are easy to make, hit the spot if you are craving something sweet, but at the same time you can add whatever topping you fancy so you can really make this just how you like it. To keep ours colourful and Easter-themed we used Smarties to top our blondies, but you can either omit them or add something different. We hope you enjoy making these fun blondies as much as we did!

Ingredients

250g unsalted butter (cold, cut into chunks)
2x eggs (free-range)
150g light soft brown sugar
100g caster sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
300g plain flour
pinch sea salt
100g Smarties (or any other topping you prefer)

Method

Makes 16 blondies

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5.

Step 2. Grease and line a 20cm/8in square loose-based cake tin with baking paper.

Step 3. Place the butter in a saucepan on a medium-low heat to melt it. Once melted add the caster sugar and brown sugar to the saucepan, stir well and cook for 1-2 minutes until the mixture looks smooth and like creamy-toffee.

Step 4. In a separate larger mixing bowl, add the eggs, vanilla and salt in and whisk together.

Step 5. Slowly add the melted butter-sugar mixture into the egg mixture and whisk together until fully combined.

Step 6. Add the flour into the mixture and stir well until smooth.

Step 7. Pour the batter into the lined baking tin and using the back of a spoon spread the mixture into the corners and ensure it is evenly distributed in the tin.

Step 8. Place the cake into the oven and bake for 20 minutes.

Step 9. Leaving the oven on, remove the blondie from the oven and scatter the top of it with Smarties or your chosen confectionary. Gently push them into the top of the cake - take care when doing this as the cake is hot. It's normal for the top of the cake to crack a little when you do this.

Step 10. Return the blondie cake to the oven and bake for a further 10 minutes or until the top of the blondie is turning a pale golden colour.

Step 11. Once baked, remove the blondie from the oven and place it somewhere to cool. Leave the cake in the tin for at least 10 minutes before cutting it into squares.
Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream or cold enjoyed with a cup of coffee.

Tip: Blondies are supposed to be slightly undercooked. However, if you prefer a more cake-like texture, add an extra 5 minutes onto the first baking time (stage 8) to allow the mixture to firm up more.

Be as creative as you like with your toppings!

Topping Ideas. If you really want a complete break from chocolate, switch the Smarties for something else like freeze-dried raspberries, chopped pecans, caramel chunks or drizzle the blondies with icing.