Many a blondie have saved me on those hectic days where time has got the better of me and I have nothing to serve to friends and family after a meal. Quick, easy and acceptingly versatile with the ingredients, blondies, dear culinary enthusiasts should be your new best friend. In this recipe I have incorporated cashewnuts which are readily available and thus nestled in those gooey caramels, your everyday dessert has become a decadent masterpiece.

Ingredients (for about 16 pieces) 

· 25 caramel toffees
· 1 tablespoon plus 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
· 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
· ¾ cup packed brown sugar
· 1 egg
· 1 tablespoon milk
· 1 teaspoon vanilla
· ½ teaspoon baking soda
· ⅛ teaspoon salt
· ¼ cup chopped cashew nuts
· Non-stick cooking spray

Instructions 

Unwrap the caramels, and cut each piece in two, for a total of 50 pieces of candy. Place the caramels in a small bowl with 1 tablespoon flour. Toss to coat the caramels and keep them from sticking to each other.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9" x 9" baking dish with foil.

In a large bowl, beat together butter and brown sugar until fluffy, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add egg, milk, and vanilla; beat until well combined.

In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture. Mix until just combine.

Scoop half of the batter into the prepared baking dish. Press batter evenly around the bottom of the baking dish. The batter is thick and a bit sticky. Top the batter with caramel pieces, spreading them evenly around the dish. Sprinkle cashewnut pieces over caramels. Place large dollops of the remaining batter around the dish. Press the batter around the dish covering the caramels and nuts as best you can.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until edges are golden brown and top is set. Remove from oven. The top of the blondies will be quite soft. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Enjoy!

By Mayuri Jayasinghe