Caramel Shards

1. Prepare a baking tray with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
2. In a small pot, melt the sugar. Stir a few times and use a wet pastry brush to dissolve the sugar on the edge of the pot.
3. When it has reached an amber, orange-red colour, quickly and carefully pour the caramel onto the prepared baking tray. It is hot! The caramel should spread by itself.
4. Immediately pour hot water into the pot to make cleaning up easier, and sprinkle the sea salt on to the hardening caramel.
5. Let cool at room temperature for about 20 minutes, and then transfer to the fridge to harden for 30 minutes.
6. When the caramel has set, break it up into shards. Break it by hand or place the block into a Ziploc bag and crush it with a rolling pin.

Blondies

1. Preheat oven to 170°C fan-assisted/convection (190°C non-convection, 240°F). Prepare an 18 x 18 cm (7 x 7 inch) baking pan with parchment paper. Make sure there is an overhang so you can lift the baked blondie block out after baking. Grease the paper well.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the sugars, vanilla, and butter until light and fluffy.
3. Add in the eggs one by one (it might look curdled, but when we add the flour it will mix together again).
4. Add in the freshly brewed espresso, or dissolve espresso powder in the hot water, stir, and add. Mix well.
5. Add the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix until there are a few streaks of flour left, and then finish mixing with a spatula.
6. Place the jar of Nutella into a bowl filled with warm water. The warmth will make the Nutella a little bit runnier.
7. Pour half of the blondie batter into the pan and spread it out evenly.
8. Place a few tablespoons (in total about 100 g) of the runny Nutella on top, and drizzle on about 5 tablespoons of the salted caramel sauce. Use a knife to very gently spread and swirl it around. Don’t mix it thoroughly, as you do want a visible layer of Nutella.
9. Pour on the second half of the batter and spread it evenly.
10. Drizzle on some more caramel sauce, and then sprinkle on some caramel shards and some sea salt. Reserve some shards for serving.
11. Bake for 30-40 minutes. Use a toothpick to check for doneness.
12. Let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then lift out the whole block and let cool to room temperature (about 2 hours).
13. Sprinkle on some sea salt and some more of the caramel shards. Use a serrated knife to cut the block into bite-size pieces.
14. Optional: before serving, drizzle on some more salted caramel sauce. Enjoy!