These rich, dense, cracked top vanilla brownies are made using a whole-egg meringue to give them the ultimate soft chew. Try not to eat them all at once!
Set the oven to 165°C/325°F and line your baking tray with parchment paper. Cut the edges as shown in the picture to allow the paper to sit better in the baking dish.
Cut the vanilla pods along the side with a pairing knife. Scrape out the seeds. Add the seeds and the leftover pods to a bowl with the butter and white chocolate.
Have all of the ingredients ready before you begin like shown in the picture.
Melt the butter, vanilla seeds, vanilla pods and chocolate together in a bowl over some hot water (double boiler). Stir frequently and once completely melted turn off the heat but keep warm.
Beat the eggs and the salt with the paddle attachment for 1 minute on medium speed.
Once the eggs are frothy, pour ⅕ of the sugar and continue beating at medium speed. Blend for about 2 minutes or until the sugar dissolves. Repeat until all of the sugar is dissolved.
Once all of the sugar is dissolved continue beating until the eggs double in size and turn pale. This takes about 8-10 minutes and should be done on medium speed.
Once the eggs are pale and yellow, slowly add in the melted chocolate, butter mixture and continue to mix with the mixer on low speed. Dry the bottom of the bowl white chocolate bowl before adding it to the matter to prevent ruining the meringue. Remove the vanilla pods from the mixture and stir in the flour.
Once nicely mixed, pour the mixture into the lined baking tray. Cover with aluminum foil.Bake for 45 minutes at 165°C/325°F, then remove the foil and continue baking for 20-30 minutes or until the centre comes out clean when poked with a toothpick. (1 hour - 1 hour + 15 minutes total baking time)You can also check the internal temperature of the blondies with a thermometer and once they reach 200℉/93℃ they're done.
Let the vanilla brownies cool on a resting rack for at least 20 minutes.
Cut into 9 squares and try not to eat them all at once!
Notes
This recipe is inspired by the all-white yeti blondie from Chef Steps and the blondies from Brave Tart. The sugar is added in 5 stages to help it dissolve better into the meringue. If you add it all at once it may collapse.Always work with clean, dry bowls and utensils when making merinuge. Any drops of water in the bowl or on the utensils can ruin the meringue.These blondies will burn really easily so it's a good idea to keep an eye on them while baking, especially the first time you make them.