I think I need an intervention
I make no secret of the fact that I thorough adore being in the kitchen - I feel like I’m truly in my element when I am chopping, blending or mixing, and so I rarely notice the time passing when I am merrily humming away in the the kitchen whilst doing my thing. However, occasionally I’ll go into a baking binge, during which I will bake a ridiculous amount of goodies while spending the entire day on my feet and during this marathon my enjoyment of the cooking process turns into more of a feeling of grim determination to bake until I literally fall over out of sheer exhaustion.
My mother continually comments that this is not a good thing, and with the way my feet feel from being almost continuously stood on for the past 2 days, I think I’m inclined to agree.
This weekend, I managed to go through over 2kg of flour, 1kg of butter, 1.5kg sugar and about 24 eggs. And as a result, I now have a fridge and kitchen bench full of sweet treats of various kinds, and family members who are collectively rolling their eyes and calling me evil for creating so much source for temptation…
It all started out with an innocent batch of pikelets, I swear. See, since getting my new camera a few months back, I’ve slowly been working through some old recipes and taking new photos to replace the dodgy old ones. However, the problem lies in the fact that with so many bookmarked new recipes in cookbooks and food blogs, it’s difficult for me to bring myself to repeat a recipe (unless it’s specifically requested by a friend or family member). After I’d made the pikelets and photographed them (a process which took no more than about 30 minutes from beginning to end), I sat in the kitchen and fidgeted. You see, making the pikelets had gotten me into ‘the groove‘, and I felt the urge to create more.
A lot more.
You see, the short list of recipes on my ‘to try very very soon’ changes quite often, depending on my mood or what I’ve made in the week past, and so I started to browse through my list and make a note of the recipes that I thought might be right for today. One of the recipes on that list happened to be blondies with salted caramel sauce that I had seen featured on Chubby Hubby’s blog, and rereading his post, my mind quickly informed me that this would indeed be the recipe to start my baking marathon with. Taking his suggestions of some nuts and chocolate to add depth and texture to these little squares on board, I eagerly mixed them out, curious as to what the outcome would be.
You see, folks - this was my first ever batch of blondies. And I have yet another confession to make - I have never ever baked brownies. I know, how is this possible?? Well, my family are not big fans of things that are sweet or too chocolatey, and since every brownie that I’ve ever tasted (which, to be honest, doesn’t number as many) falls into both categories, I’ve intentionally left them off my list. I left blondies off my list as well as I just imagined them to be…well, blonde versions of their decadently chocolaty cousins, but as I found out I could not have been any more wrong!
I mixed and poured and watched my blondies rise through the glass of the oven door, as excited as a kid just before Christmas. What would the texture be like? How sweet would they be? Would my family like them? Heck - would I like them? And if we didn’t, who the heck would we pass them on to?
I removed them from the oven, poured over the salted caramel sauce and gave it a few minutes to soak in and set before cutting a slice and taking a bite.
WOAH.
The texture was moist but with a bit more body than a regular buttercake, with just a hint of sweetness which was wonderfully offset by the salted butter caramel layer on top. The chocolate and nuts did make a wonderful addition to the mix, so much so that I couldn’t imagine making these without them, and just 12 hours after they were made, half the batch had disappeared down the mouths of friends and family alike!
And so, with the euphoria of having completed such a tasty dish, I continued to bake…which is why I am now sitting in this chair, barely able to focus, with aching swollen feet and clothes that smell rich and buttery. I’ll leave you to the recipe now, as I think I should probably go to bed and collapse before I pass out at my desk 
White Choc & Walnut Blondies
From Chubby Hubby’s adaptation of The Secrets of Baking by Sherry Yard
(Makes 24 squares)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
170g unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon light corn syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
150g walnuts, roughly chopped
120g good quality white chocolate, roughly chopped
1 cup Salted Butter Caramel Sauce (see below)
1. Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Adjust the rack to the center of the oven. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and line the base with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper.
2. Triple sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.
3. Beat the butter with an electric beater on high speed until soft and creamy, then slowly add the sugars and beat on high speed until fully incorporated and the mixture is light and fluffy (about 10 minutes). Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time. Be sure each egg is completely incorporated and scrape down the sides of the bowl before adding the next one. Add the corn syrup and vanilla
5. Slowly add the flour and mix on low speed until just combined, then gently stir in the chopped walnuts and chocolate with a wooden spoon.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
7. Poke holes in the surface of the cake with a skewer or fork. Pour the caramel sauce over the cake. Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack, then cut into 2-inch squares before serving.
If wrapped airtight, blondies keep well for 3 days at room temperature or up to 3 weeks in the freezer.
Salted Butter Caramel Sauce
From The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz
Makes 1½ cups (375 millilitres)
85 grams butter, salted or unsalted
150 grams (3/4 cup) sugar
250 millilitres (1 cup) heavy cream
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1¼ teaspoons coarse salt
Melt the butter in a large, deep heavy-bottomed saucepan. Stir in the sugar and cook, stirring frequently, until the sugar is a deep golden brown and starts to smoke.
Remove from the heat and immediately and quickly whisk in half of the cream until smooth (wear an oven mitt since the mixture will steam and splatter, and may bubble up furiously). Stir in the rest of the cream, then the vanilla and salt. If there are any lumps of caramel, whisk the sauce gently over low heat until they’re dissolved. This sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 weeks. Rewarm it gently in a microwave or by stirring in a saucepan over very low heat.
Others who have tried this recipe:
- Belinda at What’s Cooking in a Southern Kitchen
- Cindy from Where’s The Beef?
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Comments
Hilda These look so wonderfully decadent, I can’t imagine anyone not jumping on them as soon as they’re in sight. I’m afraid I’d be of no help on the intervention, I just started food blogging and my family is already annoyed with the quantity of tasty things I’ve been making over the last few weeks which has caused them to shrink back from the bathroom scale….
Belinda Oh, how delicious these look! I think I just HAVE to make these, but I’ll replace the walnuts with pecans…’cause I’m a southern gal, and I have lots and lots of pecans on hand at all times. Whenever I get on a baking kick, my mother always gets mad at the temptation too, like you mentioned about you rfamily. Baking is so much fun though, and sweet treats always bring smiles.
Robyn Those look absolutely scrumptious - congrats on a terrific first batch of blondies! I’ve held back from making brownies because my family, like yours, aren’t keen on things too sweet or chocolatey. I’m eager to have a go at making these.
Kat Wow! looks and sounds delish. Don’t overdo it though, wouldn’t want you to relapse your cold or anything like that.
Ellie Tanna, so do I! The more people to help with the load of baked goodies, the better!
Hilda, welcome to food blogging 
I think we’re all familiar with that scenario…and though your family may be annoyed, I’m sure nobody is actually avoiding those treats
Barbara - if you were closer, I’d gladly offer
Peabody - Aww shucks, thanks hon
Belinda - Actually, I had both walnuts and pecans on hand and ummed and ahhed over which to use…in the end, ma voted for the walnuts, but pecans would work just as nicely here I think!
Robyn - Thanks, hon 
These should be right up your alley as my family are devouring these at breakneck speed!
Kat - Haha, no no, I’ve had my cold for the season, I should now be right till early summer (which is when I often catch one too!)
Thanks, Ed The salted caramel sauce really does add another dimension to these!
Johanna I prefer my chocolate dark - I have always found white chocolate a bit sickly sweet so was interested that you say it is not too sweet - but I am tempted by the salted caramel sauce!
brilynn I definitely do the same thing, I decide I’m going to bake a million things in one day and by the end of it I can barely stand up.
Ellie Hi Johanna - You can see in the pictures that I chopped my chocolate up pretty fine I think that helped to keep the sweetness down, and as the cake batter itself is not very sweet, the white choc helps to provide a boost of sweetness to balance the savoury saltiness of the caramel sauce.
Brilynn - On some level we must enjoy it…otherwise why would we keep doing it to ourselves?
Cheryl Wow, you really are a baking fiend. I am just exhausted from making one dessert on a day. But every once in a while I will get into a mood like you.
These are amazing looking.
ilingc I’ve never made a blondie either for you see, I am a brownie girl I’m really intrigue by the salted caramel sauce though. Might give that a go with something else one of these days. Blondie might have to wait a bit, I’m not really a big fan of white chocolate but.. I’ve had days when I think about them.
ilingc what I also wanted to say was, I did the samething a few weeks ago (baked, cooked til I dropped). It felt great, stuffing myself and making all these wonderful things. Except.. now I have a whole bunch of posts sitting in draft Need some motivation pills to get it going. LOL
Ellie Thanks, Cheryl I don’t know if I’m a baking fiend or just a nutbag, but either way I think the sanity levels aren’t that high
MJ - it is fairly light but definitely not as soft as a regular cake…hmm, I would say that these are crumblier and lighter than your average dense chocolate brownie
I-Ling - The salted caramel sauce is reaaaaaaaaally good, so so so good (I have been drowning my blondie slices in it each time I have a piece, num!). Hehehe, I know what you mean about the drafts, sometimes the cooking is the easier part of this foodblogging thing
Jaden - You know, that might actually be necessary 
Tara Those blondies look absolutely delicious!
Just dropping by to let you know that I have tagged you for a meme, visit my blog for the details!
Lynn Wonderful blondies. Blonds have more fun and certainly when topped with DL’s salted butter caramel sauce!
Patricia Scarpin No one here is gonna stop you, sweetie - I want to see more delicious food around here!
These brownies are decadent!
Mandi Ooooh! I love chocolate but am not a fan of brownies and have given blondies a miss for the same reasons. You have won me over and I’ll be trying these in the next few days. I’ll let you know how they turn out.
gilly WOAH is right! I’m so glad you’ve found the wonderful world of blondies, Ellie! I completely understand your description of getting into the baking ‘groove’ and needing to fulfill that urge!
neil Intervention? I’m so good at that - Go To Your Room…NOW! Oh and don’t look back at what I’m doing…mmm, pretty tasty.
Ellie Tara - Thanks, hon I’ll get on it now!
Lynn - The sauce is heavenly! I’m glad I only had half a cup left after the blondies as I’ve been eating it by the (tea)spoonful every time I go to the fridge!
Patricia - Haha, as you wish my dear
Mandi - Yay! I hope you like them, they’re really won me over to the blondie side of life
Gilly - Hehe, thanks hon
Neil - LOL! Sounds like my mother could take a few lessons from you on how to control my baking obsession
Chubby Hubby Well, those look a lot better than mine. Yum. Wish I could reach into the screen. Great job!
eliza SO EDIBLE! You have me drooling now Can’t wait to make these when I have access to more of a kitchen - don’t think they’d stand up too well in my galley kitchen with a teeeny tiny oven! Will borrow my boyfriend’s oven and see what happens. I haven’t loved white chocolate much in the past, but these look more subtle than most white chocolate recipes I’ve tried, so I’m willing to give it a go!
Mary I have to try making those blondies. They look amazing! I also go through baking binges too. I love the way my whole house smells of sugar and butter.
Lisa OMG I can so relate.. this weekend my feet were SCREAMING at me - and although I had LOTS of help, I often wondered why the heck we were doing it.. course the answer was easy.. cuz it tastes so good! heee!
The blondies look fabulous and I’m positively swooning over that salted caramel sauce.. ohhh yeah baby!
xoxo
Karin I´ve been watching your photos. Amazing! As if there were real food on my computer screen.
Belinda Hi Ellie! I just had to stop by again, and let you know that I made these just a little while ago, and wow, were they ever fabulous and decadent! Thanks a million for sharing the recipe, which I blogged about as well, because these deserve to be shared with everyone.
Ellie Aun - No way! Aww shucks, thanks for saying so but I don’t agree Thank you so much for posting the recipe and sharing this decadence with us!
Eliza - Hahaha, Gauri told me about your comment I’m glad that you like them - and the white choc in this recipe is really quite subdued so don’t worry about it being too sickly sweet
Mary - They are definitely pretty spesh, I do hope that you like them! And yeah, part of the reason that I adore baking is that it fills the house with the most delicious smells
Lis - Hahahaha! Yup, the end results justify the pain that gets you there…sometimes Can’t wait to read more about your and Helen’s exploits!
Karin - Thank you, sweetheart That’s lovely of you to say so!
Belinda - I just saw your post! Yay! I’m so glad that you liked them as much as me! And you’re absolutely right, this delicious recipe needs to be shared with everyone!
Chris These look amazing! You are a girl after my own heart - I am a baking binger as well…Is there a BAA (Baking Bingers Anonymous) somewhere? I may need to sign up!
These are really beautiful and sooooo tempting. Dangerous for sure. Too dangerous for me to try.
Wish I could help you eat one of yours.