Leftover Easter eggs. Still you cry! Yes, as a dark chocolate lover you don’t need much hence why I have a vat of the stuff still sitting patiently in the pantry. Brownies anyone?
Without doubt the best, most trusty brownie recipe and one I’ve always gone back to time after time. My only concern each time I make it is the sugar content. But we are talking about brownies here which come with a certain set of health flaws anyway. Courtesy of Green & Blacks but highly adapted here to reflect one of my favourite cakes, walnuts for crunch and coffee beans for surprise.
Makes about 20
- 200g unsalted butter
- 100g dark chocolate (70%) Green & Blacks
- 350g dark brown soft sugar
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 200g self raising flour
- 1 tbsp instant coffee granules
- Pinch salt
- 100g chopped walnuts
- 2 tbsp coffee beans, ground into chunks in a pestle and mortar
- Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a 28cm x 18cm brownie tin with parchment (or a similar size)
- Melt the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water until melted and combined. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.
- Stir in the sugar and instant coffee granules until combined.
- Whisk the eggs and vanilla well in a bowl and then whisk these continuously into the chocolate mixture until well combined and glossy.
- Gently fold in the flour and salt.
- Finely, stir in the chopped nuts and crushed coffee beans.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until crispy on top but still soft inside. The edges may cook quicker leaving the middle pieces gooey and dense.
- Leave to cool completely (yes I know…amuse yourself here) until cold. Then cut into enormous pieces. Serve with some cool creamy ice cream.
