Walnut, Turkish coffee and date blondies

Ingredients

• 65 g (5¾ oz) raw walnuts
• cooking oil spray
• 6 cardamom pods
• 2 tsp (4 g) instant coffee powder/granules
• 20 ml (¾ oz) hot water
• 140 g (5 oz) medjool dates (approx. 5–6 dates)
• 100 g (3½ oz) good white chocolate, chopped
• 210 g (7½ oz) unsalted butter
• 320 g (11¼ oz) dark brown sugar
• 100 g (3½ oz) egg, from approx. 2 eggs
• 1 tsp (5 g) vanilla bean paste
• 185 g (6½ oz) soft plain (all-purpose) flour (8–9% protein or GF)
• 1 tsp (3 g) salt flakes

Instructions

1. Toast the walnuts: Preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F) and grab a 20 cm × 30 cm (8 inch × 12 inch) rectangular tin. Scatter the walnuts into the tin and toast for 20–25 minutes until pale brown. Tip into a bowl to cool, then line the same tin with cooking oil spray and baking paper on the base and sides.
2. Steep the coffee and cardamom: Split the cardamom pods with a knife and stir with the instant coffee and hot water. Set aside to steep.
3. Prep the additions: Remove the stones from the dates and snip into lengthways strips with scissors. Crush the walnuts in your hands. Chop the chocolate into medium irregular shards. Toss the dates, chocolate and walnuts and set aside a 120 g (4¼ oz) portion of additions to scatter on top of the batter before baking. The rest will go into the batter.
4. Make the batter: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium–high heat (or in a microwave in 1-minute bursts). Scrape into a heatproof bowl and leave to cool for 5 minutes. Add the sugar, egg and vanilla, then strain the coffee into the cooled mix. Hand-whisk well to a glossy paste. Sift the flour into the mix and fold it in with a stiff plastic spatula until thick and no floury streaks remain. Fold in the chopped dates, nuts and salt. Scrape the batter into the lined tin and smooth the top. Strew the reserved date/nut mix across the top, then press the toppings down lightly to adhere to the batter.
5. Bake for 20 minutes until the top is dry and matt. The internal temp should be 100°C (200°F), but be careful testing as the blondie is quite thin. Continue to bake for another 5 minutes for firmer blondies. Remember, you are the captain of your squidginess.
6. Cool completely before cutting into 16 bars.
7. Store at room temp, airtight, for 2 days, then refrigerate for up to 5 days. I love to eat them cold.

Notes for adaptations

• Remove the coffee, replace the nuts? Yes! Soft nuts like pecans and macadamias work well. Hazelnuts too, but chop them into smaller pieces.
• Replace the white with dark chocolate (70% cocoa).
• Dateless: Ditch them and add extra toasted nuts.

This is an edited extract from Sweet Heart by Natalie Paull (Murdoch Books, $49.99). Photography by Rochelle Eagle.