BAKING BONANZA: Blueberry Cheesecake Blondies & my Millionaire Shortbread Cheat
Every now and again, I go on a bit of a baking binge.
I decide to bake at least two, if not more, cakes/sweet things in one go. The washing piles in the sink, flour and sugar cover the flour and the smell of freshly baked goods fill my home.
In honour of me finishing up my Summer job and beginning a new job (and a new career) next week, I decided to bake some treats for the office. So last night saw me up to my elbows in flour and blueberries and chocolate at 9pm, but it was well worth it for these.
Blueberry Cheesecake Blondies and my cheats (and in my opinion, more delicious) version of Millionaire's Shortbread. What I really love about both of these foods is that they look really impressive but are deceptively simple. While there's a few steps to the cheesecake blondies, they're not difficult at all. From beginning to end, it takes under an hour to make them each separately.
Millionaire's Shortbread is a recipe I like to play around with. Sometimes I make the shortbread very crumbly and buttery, sometimes I salt the caramel to make it even more moreish. But this time, I made the base with double chocolate digestives mixed with melted caramel (like a cheesecake base to create the 'shortbread') and whizzed up a quick caramel with butter, dark brown sugar and condensed milk.
The result is a deliciously decadent yet dead easy dessert. The most difficult bit is making the caramel and really, all that involves is a bit of stirring.
You obviously don't have to make both of these at once, you can pick either one. But I highly recommend doing both; on a Saturday, when you've nothing but time. Maybe it's raining outside and the sky is dark and grey. The kitchen is warm and inviting and you have some Ella Fitzgerald playing as you cream butter and sugar, melt chocolate and whisk eggs. You cook in your pyjamas because you can, happily singing off key, anticipating the treat of something homemade and sweet with a cup of tea.
Bliss.
BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE BLONDIES
Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees celsius
230g of plain flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
170g of butter/margarine/butter spread (any of them work), melted
200g light brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
100g white chocolate chips
120g blueberries
For the Blueberry Swirl
130g of blueberries (you can use frozen ones that have been defrosted at room temp)
30g of caster sugar
1/2 lemon, squeezed
For the Cheesecake Swirl
60g of cream cheese
25g of butter
15g of caster sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Make the blondie base first
- Mix the flour, baking powder and salt together and set aside. In another bowl, mix the melted butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Add the flour mixture to this one and gently combine. Fold in the blueberries and chocolate and pour mixture into baking tin.
- To make the blueberry swirl, cook the ingredients in a small pan over a medium heat for 10 minutes. Mash with a fork or blend and then strain off the compote.
- To make the cheesecake swirl, combine ingredients in a bowl and mix vigorously.
- Drizzle dollops of the cheesecake mix down the centre of the tin with the blondie base and then repeat with the blueberry compote. Using a knife, swirl in circular motions to create the pattern.
- Bake for 25 minutes. Leave to cool for an hour in the tin, then slice into squares.
MY MILLIONAIRE'S SHORTBREAD
Shortbread base
3/4 packet of Double Chocolate Digestives, crushed
25g of melted butter (add more if needed)
Caramel
100g dark brown sugar
100g butter
1 tin of condensed milk
OPTIONAL - 1 + 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
Chocolate topping
250g melted chocolate of your choosing
20g of melted butter (not needed if using cooking chocolate)
- Mix the digestives and melted butter together and press into a square baking tin (I used an 8").
- For topping, place chocolate and butter in a ban marie on a medium heat until melted. Place to one side.
- To make caramel, melt butter and and sugar in a pan on a high heat until sugar is dissolved. Add in condensed milk and stir until thoroughly combined. Keep the mixture on a high heat and stir continuously for 10 minutes until mixture has thickened considerably and is bubbling/golden brown in colour.
- Pour over digestive base and place in freezer for 10 minutes to cool. Then, pour over melted chocolate. Chill in fridge overnight.
I decide to bake at least two, if not more, cakes/sweet things in one go. The washing piles in the sink, flour and sugar cover the flour and the smell of freshly baked goods fill my home.
In honour of me finishing up my Summer job and beginning a new job (and a new career) next week, I decided to bake some treats for the office. So last night saw me up to my elbows in flour and blueberries and chocolate at 9pm, but it was well worth it for these.
Blueberry Cheesecake Blondies and my cheats (and in my opinion, more delicious) version of Millionaire's Shortbread. What I really love about both of these foods is that they look really impressive but are deceptively simple. While there's a few steps to the cheesecake blondies, they're not difficult at all. From beginning to end, it takes under an hour to make them each separately.
Millionaire's Shortbread is a recipe I like to play around with. Sometimes I make the shortbread very crumbly and buttery, sometimes I salt the caramel to make it even more moreish. But this time, I made the base with double chocolate digestives mixed with melted caramel (like a cheesecake base to create the 'shortbread') and whizzed up a quick caramel with butter, dark brown sugar and condensed milk.
The result is a deliciously decadent yet dead easy dessert. The most difficult bit is making the caramel and really, all that involves is a bit of stirring.
You obviously don't have to make both of these at once, you can pick either one. But I highly recommend doing both; on a Saturday, when you've nothing but time. Maybe it's raining outside and the sky is dark and grey. The kitchen is warm and inviting and you have some Ella Fitzgerald playing as you cream butter and sugar, melt chocolate and whisk eggs. You cook in your pyjamas because you can, happily singing off key, anticipating the treat of something homemade and sweet with a cup of tea.
Bliss.
(Ignore slippers)
BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE BLONDIES
Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees celsius
230g of plain flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
170g of butter/margarine/butter spread (any of them work), melted
200g light brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
100g white chocolate chips
120g blueberries
For the Blueberry Swirl
130g of blueberries (you can use frozen ones that have been defrosted at room temp)
30g of caster sugar
1/2 lemon, squeezed
For the Cheesecake Swirl
60g of cream cheese
25g of butter
15g of caster sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Make the blondie base first
- Mix the flour, baking powder and salt together and set aside. In another bowl, mix the melted butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Add the flour mixture to this one and gently combine. Fold in the blueberries and chocolate and pour mixture into baking tin.
- To make the blueberry swirl, cook the ingredients in a small pan over a medium heat for 10 minutes. Mash with a fork or blend and then strain off the compote.
- To make the cheesecake swirl, combine ingredients in a bowl and mix vigorously.
- Drizzle dollops of the cheesecake mix down the centre of the tin with the blondie base and then repeat with the blueberry compote. Using a knife, swirl in circular motions to create the pattern.
- Bake for 25 minutes. Leave to cool for an hour in the tin, then slice into squares.
MY MILLIONAIRE'S SHORTBREAD
Shortbread base
3/4 packet of Double Chocolate Digestives, crushed
25g of melted butter (add more if needed)
Caramel
100g dark brown sugar
100g butter
1 tin of condensed milk
OPTIONAL - 1 + 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
Chocolate topping
250g melted chocolate of your choosing
20g of melted butter (not needed if using cooking chocolate)
- Mix the digestives and melted butter together and press into a square baking tin (I used an 8").
- For topping, place chocolate and butter in a ban marie on a medium heat until melted. Place to one side.
- To make caramel, melt butter and and sugar in a pan on a high heat until sugar is dissolved. Add in condensed milk and stir until thoroughly combined. Keep the mixture on a high heat and stir continuously for 10 minutes until mixture has thickened considerably and is bubbling/golden brown in colour.
- Pour over digestive base and place in freezer for 10 minutes to cool. Then, pour over melted chocolate. Chill in fridge overnight.
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