Brownies vs Blondies, Part II

Pecan Blondies

Here is the follow on from my brownie post. A little later than anticipated, but I got distracted and excited about my last 2 posts. Until I had baked those cakes, Part II had to wait. I am very much led by my mood when I bake. There are times when I want to bake something familiar, and times when I want to try something new.
Blondies are essentially a white chocolate brownie, and a delicious alternative if you fancy a change from all of that dark chocolate. 
I have made blondies in the past but have never been happy with them, being always too sweet, and the texture cloying. However this recipe I like, and is therefore worth sharing. It comes from the most recent Great British Bake Off book by Linda Collister which I received  for my last birthday, and there is not one recipe that I don't want to try. Please don't be surprised if this book is mentioned again in this blog!
I won't lie, these are sweet (they are made with white chocolate, after all), but not overly so. I believe that the success of blondies is down to the quality of chocolate that you use. The  taste of the chocolate really comes through, and because of this please use a quality brand and one that you would enjoy eating a bar of.
I really like that the pecan nuts are left as halves because they add a really tasty nutty crunch and cut through the chocolate sweetness.
So, brownies vs  blondies? I refuse to call it. Both are super easy to make. Both make a treat which goes down very nicely with a cup of tea. And both would make a decadent pudding. Just cut the squares larger into greedy girl portions, serve the brownies with cream and berries, and the blondies with ice cream and a butterscotch sauce. Delicious!

175g white chocolate (with 25% cocoa solids) broken into squares

115g unsalted butter, cut into cubes

100g golden caster sugar

2 medium eggs, at room temperature

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

125g plain flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

150g pecan halves

You will also need a 20.5cm square tin, which will make 16 squares

1. Heat the oven to 180C /350F / gas 4 and grease and base line the tin with baking paper.

2. In a heatproof bowl which is large enough to hold all of the ingredients put in the butter and chocolate. Put it over a saucepan of just boiled water off the heat to melt. Be careful
that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the hot water because this will over heat the chocolate and cause it to seize. Stir occasionally.

3. When the chocolate is nearly all melted take the bowl off the pan and stir until the mixture is smooth.

4. Stir in the sugar. The mixture will curdle, but will become smooth in the next step. Leave to cool until barely warm.

5. Beat the eggs and vanilla together until they are frothy and then pour into the chocolate mixture. Stir well until the mixture is very smooth and glossy. Sift in the flour and baking powder and mix until well combined. Stir in 100g of the pecan nuts.

6. Put the mixture into the prepared tin, spread evenly and then scatter the remaining pecan nuts over the top.

7. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a skewer when inserted into the cake comes out clean.

8. The centre of the cake might still be a little soft but it will firm up on cooling.

9. Loosen the sides of the cake with a knife and leave it to cool in the tin. When it is cold turn out and cut into squares.
10. They will keep for 4 days in an airtight tin, but I don't imagine that they will last that long!