07 Apr Easter Custard Blondies

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According to a recent poll I ran on Instagram, many of us are barely aware that Easter is just a few days away! With all the goings-on in the world right now, it’s fair to say that most of us have been a bit distracted, and feeling a tad overwhelmed. So I decided to bring you all an extra-cheerful Easter treat – these Easter Custard Blondies made with Ultra Mel Vanilla Custard!

It’s pretty hard to be sad when you’re looking at these gorgeous bright colours… and once you take a bite of one, I have no doubt it will bring a smile to your face!

These chewy vanilla blondies are flavoured with Ultra Mel Vanilla Custard and packed with crunchy, chocolaty speckled eggs. Add to that the thick and creamy custard topping (possibly my new favourite cake filling/topping!) and then some more speckled eggs! Because, why not?

Ingredients:

(makes 16)

For the Ultra Mel topping:
350ml Ultra Mel Vanilla Custard  
30ml cornflour (2 tbsp)
30ml milk (2 tbsp)
2 large egg yolks
80g castor sugar (¼ cup)
75g salted butter (⅓ cup)

For the blondies:
175g salted butter (¾ cup)
225g white sugar (280ml)
2 large eggs
5ml vanilla essence (1 tsp)
225g flour (400ml)
100g speckled eggs

Extra 100g speckled eggs, to decorate

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and line a 20 x 20cm baking tin with baking paper.
• Start by making the Ultra Mel topping. Add the Ultra Mel Vanilla Custard to a small saucepan. Mix the cornflour and milk together until smooth, then add to the custard along with the egg yolks and castor sugar. Stir until combined. Heat on low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. Continue cooking for 1-2 minutes. 
• Remove the custard from the heat and pour into a heatproof bowl. Reserve 2 tablespoons for the blondie batter. Chop the 75g butter into small cubes, then gradually whisk into the custard, a cube at a time, until melted and smooth. Cover with cling film directly on the surface of the custard, then refrigerate until for at least 2 hours.
• To make the blondies, cream together the butter and sugar for 3-5 minutes using a stand mixer or electric mixer. Add in the 2 tbsp reserved custard, vanilla essence and eggs. Beat for a further 2-3 minutes. Stir in the flour and speckled eggs until combined.
• Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and smooth evenly. Bake for about 25 minutes, until golden and just slightly risen. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove and cool completely on a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
• Spread the cooled custard topping onto the blondies. Just before serving, chop up the remaining speckled eggs and sprinkle onto the blondies. Slice into squares and enjoy! 
• NOTE: After a while, the colour from the sugar-coated eggs will bleed into the custard so it’s best to decorate as close to serving as possible.