Easter Blondies

VINTAGE POST: With Easter arriving (finally... seriously how long have the eggs been out in the supermarkets!) I felt these would be appropriate. They would be really wonderful filled with mini-eggs of your choice. I'd go caramel for the ultimate oozy pleasure! Great for using up eggs after the big day is over too. Tray bakes like this are also great if you're having a bit of a get-together with family and friends over the long weekend.

Controversial title I know. I'm a brunette, and I heartily disagree. Except when it comes to Blondies the food. Blondies are brownies. They just aren't, well, brown. Brownies are so heavy its best not to overload with fillings - stick to fresh stuff like nuts and berries (how I've-been-foraging-in-the-woods they are). Blondies though aren't so heavy, so fillings = fun! You can be as plain and simple, or as outlandish as you want. I made these ones, with crushed Crunchies and Smarties, to take to movie night at a friend's place, and they went down smashingly.

• 2 3/4 cup plain flour
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2/3 cup butter. softened
• 450g brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• however much delightful filling you want (in this batch, 1 bag of fun size Crunchies crushed and 1/2 a bag of Smarties)

Preheat oven to 180C. Beat butter and sugar til creamy, add eggs one at a time. Then add vanilla and fillings, beating gently to combine. Sift flour and baking powder into mixture and stir gently with a spoon. Spread into a 30x20cm brownie tin and bake 30 minutes until golden brown. Cool in tin before cutting into squares.

This is a great kids food, as it's so easy and they can have lots of fun with it. Best eaten with a glass of cold milk I'd say!