As brownies are a classic, so are blondies. Buttery, sweetened with brown sugar and mashed bananas, these are just marvellous when eaten well chilled. Pieces of toasted walnuts give them a bit of a crunch, just enough to make the texture more interesting, and make the buttery, nutty flavour be even more prominent. Serve them sliced into small squares, with iced coffee.
Ingredients
120 grams butter
100 grams granulated sugar
100 grams brown sugar
100 grams bananas, mashed
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon rum
1 large egg
120 grams plain flour
1 tablespoon cornflour (corn starch)
100 grams walnut pieces
Preparation
Heat a large pan over medium high heat and, without adding any fat, toast the walnut pieces for about 5-7 minutes, until they start getting brown and fragrant. Remove them from the heat and let them cool down slightly. In a large saucepan, combine diced butter (it can be straight from the refrigerator or softened) and both sugars. Place the saucepan over medium heat, and let everything melt and blend together well. Make sure the mixture does not burn. Remove it from the heat and let it cool down slightly. Mash the bananas, and add them to the butter, along with vanilla and rum.
Mix the batter well, then add in the egg and whisk vigorously to incorporate it. Finally, sift in the plain flour, cornflour, and the walnuts, and combine. Do not overmix the batter, just gently fold everything together using gentle strokes with a rubber spatula. Take a small baking pan (17x17 cm; 7x7") and butter it generously, then pour in the batter and level it. Bake in a preheated oven, at 170˚C (340˚F), for about 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Do not overbake the blondies, because they will be dry. Best served chilled. Yields 9 blondies.
