chocolate blondie bites

Makes about 36

Preparation time 15 minutes

Cooking time 27 minutes

40 g (1½ oz) lightly salted butter, plus extra for greasing

200 g (7 oz) white chocolate

2 eggs

65 g (2½ oz) caster sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

75 g (3 oz) self-raising flour, sifted

50 g (2 oz) blanched almonds, roughly chopped

Grease and line a 20 cm (8 inch) square cake tin with nonstick baking paper.

Chop half the chocolate into small pieces and set aside. Roughly chop the remainder and put in a heatproof bowl with the butter. Rest the bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water and leave until melted.

Beat together the eggs, sugar and vanilla bean paste in a separate bowl. Beat in the melted chocolate mixture. Add the flour, almonds and chopped chocolate and stir well. Turn into the tin and spread into the corners.

Bake in a preheated oven, 190°C (375°F), Gas Mark 5, for about 25 minutes, or until the surface is golden and the centre feels just firm to the touch. Leave to cool completely before removing from the tin and cutting into small squares.

For gluten-free chocolate brownies, grease and line a 28 × 20 cm (11 × 8 inch) shallow baking tin with nonstick baking paper. Chop 200 g (7 oz) milk chocolate into small pieces. Melt 200 g (7 oz) plain chocolate with 200 g (7 oz) unsalted butter, stirring frequently until smooth. In a separate bowl, beat together 3 eggs and 175 g (6 oz) light muscovado sugar until turning foamy. Beat in the chocolate mixture. Sift 75 g (3 oz) gluten-free flour and 2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder into the bowl. Add the chopped chocolate and 100 g (3½ oz) walnut pieces. Turn into the tin, level the surface and bake as above, adding a little extra cooking time if the surface feels very soft.