Summer 2016 Blondies

I think I have probably made these ten times this summer.  They are perfect as they are really easy, very forgiving, and they always seem to come out great.  I can get these in the oven in about 10 mins.

The original recipe came from a lovely blog, The Little Loaf.

Dark Chocolate Tahini Blondies

• 125g butter
• 175g golden caster sugar
• 85g light brown muscovado sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 150g tahini (peanut butter is a good substitute here)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 185g plain white flour
• pinch salt
• 150g dark chocolate, chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C/160 C fan. Grease a 20cm square baking tin with butter 
2. Melt the butter then continue cooking until golden and nutty, Remove from the heat and allow to cool (if you have time!).
3. Whisk together the sugar and eggs until pale and smooth.
4. Whisk in the cooled brown butter along with the tahini and vanilla until smooth and combined.
5. Fold the flour and salt into the mixture, followed by the chocolate chunks, then scrape into your prepared tin. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until a thin crust forms but the blondie is still gooey in the middle. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before slicing into squares.

Best eaten slightly warm with the chocolate oozing out!

Spinakota

I was looking for a quicker method for a large quantity of filo parcels. I layered filo sheets with melted butter, a mixture of spinach and feta seasoned with salt, pepper and nutmeg and bound with beaten egg, and then more sheets of filo. Cut into squares before cooking in a hot oven.

ELIZABETH’S FRUIT CAKE
This was needed for a cricket expedition - but then came in very useful for a fishing picnic as well! First served by Louise for tea after a Women of Winchester (WoW) walk,  named after her friend who gave her the recipe. It is very easy and melting the butter and sugar gives it a lovely caramelly taste and squidgy texture. I have adapted it from Aga settings. Photos show half quantity in one tin.

1 lb butter

1 ¼ lbs self raising flour

1 lb demerara sugar

2lbs sultanas

4-6 eggs (depending on size)

4oz ground almonds

Melt butter and sugar in saucepan. 

 

Take off heat.  Add sultanas, eggs, flour and almonds

Divide between two lined loaf tins (I use the butter paper).

Cook for 1 hour at 150, then turn down to 100 for a further hour.