White chocolate blondies

These decadent dessert bars are the fairer cousins of brownies, with the same dense, fudgy texture.

Makes 16 Prep 10 mins plus cooling Cook 45 mins

225g cold butter, chopped into small

pieces, plus extra for the tin

200g white chocolate, chopped into

small pieces

175g plain flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

200g light brown soft sugar

100g golden caster sugar

3 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 Butter a 21 x 21cm square tin, then line the base and sides with baking parchment. Put the butter and half the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir every few minutes until the butter and chocolate have melted. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 15 mins. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4. Combine the flour, baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt and set aside.

2 Put the sugars and eggs in a second large bowl. Beat with an electric whisk until thick and foamy – this will take a few minutes. It’s ready when it leaves a trail from the beaters that sits on the surface for 2 seconds.

3 Add the vanilla to the melted chocolate, and stir – don’t worry if it has separated. Pour into the egg mixture. Fold together gently, until most of the buttery streaks have been folded in. Sift the flour mixture in and fold together again, then add the remaining chocolate and stir until well combined.

4 Pour the mixture into the tin, spreading it into the corners.Bake for 30-35 mins until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out with sticky crumbs, but no raw mixture. Leave to cool completely in the tin – the blondies will sink as they cool, just like brownies. Cut into 16 squares. Will keep for five days in a sealed container.

PER SERVING 299 kcals, fat 17g, saturates 10g,

carbs 33g, sugars 27g, fibre 1g, protein 3g, salt 0g