Pecan and banana blondies recipe

Blondies are brownies made with white chocolate. They're just as rich and gooey in the middle but they work very well with fruit and nuts added to the mixture. This recipe uses chopped pecan nuts and bananas - but with a twist! Ripe bananas work best so when your fruit bowl starts to look a little sad, simply freeze them whole, skin on, until you want to use them in this recipe. Either defrost the bananas at room temperature, or in the microwave, and then stir into the blondie mix. It's a great way to avoid wasting bananas and the ripeness adds extra flavour.

Ingredients

• 200g white chocolate, chopped
• 100g unsalted butter
• 100g light brown sugar
• 100g caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 100g pecans, chopped
• 225g plain flour
• ¼tsp baking powder
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• ½tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5 and line a square 20cm tin with greaseproof paper.
2. Melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave until just melted. Stir to combine, being careful not to overheat.
3. Using an electric mixer beat in the sugar, vanilla, banana and egg until combined.
4. Sift in the flour and baking powder then mix in with the pecans and nutmeg. Pour into the tin and bake for 30-35 minutes until the blondie is firm on top and gooey in the middle.
5. Leave to cool in the tin before slicing into 12.
6. Finish with a sprinkling of pecans (optional).