Serves: Makes about 24 - Time:
The hardest part of this traybake is getting the butter to the correct depth of brown nuttiness. That, and resisting the urge to eat them all at once. Once the butter is browned it’s downhill all the way. Cranberries always feel festive and wintery but I would bake these blondies at any time of the year. Remember to add the salt-it is so important to balance out the sweetness and is often forgotten in sweet baking. Blondies freeze very well which I do often to stop myself inhaling half the pan before they’ve had a chance to cool. It’s the brown butter I find irresistable- one of my all time top ten flavours.
Ingredients
- 190g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
- 70g macadamia nuts
- 190g plain flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- 250g soft light brown sugar
- 3 medium eggs, beaten
- 175g white chocolate, roughly chopped
- 100g dried cranberries
Method
- Grease and base-line a 20 x 30cm tin with non-stick parchment. Heat the oven to fan 160°c, mark 4. Put the butter in a saucepan and melt over a low heat then continue to simmer until the milk solids in the bottom of the pan start to turn a medium golden brown. Set aside to cool a little. While the butter is browning put the macadamia nuts in a small roasting tin and toast in the oven for about 6-8 minutes or until light golden. Leave to cool and roughly chop. Set aside.
- Measure the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Put the sugar in a large mixing bowl and rub to break up any big lumps. Pour in the browned butter and beat with an electric whisk for 3-4 minutes until well mixed. Gradually beat in the eggs.
- Fold in the flour mixture followed by half the white chocolate and all the nuts and cranberries. Spoon into the prepared tin and smooth to the edges. Scatter over the remaining chocolate. Bake in the oven for 20-22 minutes although you may want to check after 18 minutes. The edges should be golden brown and firmish but the centre shouldn’t feel too firm. Leave to cool in the tin before cutting into squares.
