Blondies, Nigella Style.

Ok, so do you ever have that feeling when you bake something and it’s like, “WOW, THIS IS THE BEST THING EVER?” and then when/if you write about it you have to type about it in CAPITALS because it’s so awesomely tasty? No, just me?

I could go on about these ludicrously tasty bars ALL DAY long, it must be the condensed milk making them so tasty. When condensed milk is added to anything, it makes it instantly delicious.. ok, maybe not anything, but mostly everything.

This recipe is from Nigella Lawson’s new book, ‘Kitchen’. This first one is a winner, can’t wait to try more.

Blondies

• 200g porridge oats, not instant
• 100g plain flour
• 0.5 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 150g soft unsalted butter
• 100g light muscovado sugar
• 1 x 397g can condensed milk
• 1 egg
• 1 x 170g packet dark chocolate morsels or chocolate chips

1 x 23cm square cake tin or 1 x foil tray approx. 30 x 20 x 5cm

Makes 16 pieces

1. Preheat the oven to 180degrees celcius/gas mark 4 and line your square cake tin with foil – this makes it easier to get the Blondies out once they’re cooked – or use a foil barcecue tray.
2. Combine the oats, flour and bicarb in a bowl.
3. In another bowl mix or beat the soft butter with the sugar until pale and airily creamy, then beat in the condensed milk followed by the oats, flour and bicarb mixture.
4. When these are well mixed, beat in the egg, and into this relatively thick mixture fold the chocolate chips.
5. Dollop this thick bumpy batter into the prepared tin, and smooth it down with a spatula, then cook in the preheated oven for about 35 minutes. When ready, it will be quite a pronounced dark gold around the edges and coming away from the tin. It will look and feel cooked on top, though just beneath it will still seem frighteningly squidgy, not to say, wibbly. But it firms up as it cools in the tin, so to end up with the requisite chewiness you have to take it out of the oven while it feels a tad undercooked.

MAKE AHEAD NOTE
The blondies can be baked up to 3 days ahead and stored in airtight container. Will keep for 5 days total.

FREEZER NOTE
The blondies can be frozen for up to 3 months in airtight container, layered with baking parchment. Defront overnight in a cool place.

• Bars
• Blondies
• Nigella