Purists are boring.  

No doubt, my recipe for a White Chocolate Blondie will offend on two fronts. First, my cocoa obsessed friends sniff at the very mention of white chocolate. “You know, Simon,” they declare with tedious superiority, “technically, it’s not chocolate at all.”  It’s a “confection,” they go on to explain, as though I might be a cocoa bean short in the head. Honestly, they’re like the Sydney Anglicans of couverture, all purity and no gloss. 

Then there are those who dismiss the very idea of a Blondie. “Humpf,” these purists say, “it’s just a Brownie wanna-be.” A ‘derivative’, they call it, for those with inferior palates. 

To both I say, “Pfft!” 

First, let me explain, quality white chocolate is as much a product of the cocoa bean as any dark or milk variety you name. The facts are these: when cocoa beans are removed from their pods — fermented, dried, roasted, cracked open and shells discarded — what results is a nib. These nibs are  ground into a paste called chocolate liquor. The liquor is then separated into cocoa solids, which provide the flavour of standard chocolate, and cocoa butter, which flavours the white variety. So there. 

Want to disagree? Speak to the hand!

Secondly, and slowly for those who need help, recorded recipes for the Blondie predate those for Brownies by at least ten years. Descriptions of these blonde “dense, fudgy, butterscotch-flavoured bars” existed as far back as the late 19th century. The common Brownie is not recorded in recipes books until 1905. 

Derivative my foot!

So, to my recipe for White Chocolate and Macadamia Blondies, offered for those who enjoy life in its less than pure forms.

Here’s what you need:

• 100g butter
• 200g white chocolate, roughly chopped
• 60g dark brown sugar
• 60g castor sugar
• 2 large eggs
• Vanilla extract
• 50g self raising flour
• 150g plain flour
• 200g white chocolate buttons 
• 40g milk chocolate buttons 
• 100g macadamia nuts, halved

Here’s what you do:

• Preheat oven to 170C, or 150C for a fan-forced oven. 
• Line a rectangular slice pan with baking paper, approximately 18cm by 25cm. 
• Place the first 200g of white chocolate with the butter into a small stainless steel or glass bowl and place over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir gently until both ingredients are melted together. Set aside to a cool a little. 
• Combine both of the sugars, the eggs and vanilla essence in a large mixing bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until they’re well blended. 
• Add the cooled chocolate mixture to the eggs and sugar and combine until you have a lovely paste consistency. 
• Add the flours and mix, then add the white and milk chocolate buttons and the macadamia nuts and fold together gently.  
• Transfer the batter to the baking pan and spread evenly.
• Bake for 30 minutes or so. It’s ready when the Blondie is a golden brown and an inserted skewer comes out oily but clean.
• Allow the Blondie to cool in the pan. 
• Tip it out and cut into generous squares. 

Serve with coffee and without Anglicans.