Simple but delectable, this super-fudgy chocolate walnut brownie is so easy to make, and so difficult to get wrong that even kids can bake it without breaking a sweat. Beware though, they might empty one batch as payment, I learned the hard way!
Preheat oven to 170°C (340°F) or 145°C (295°F) if using a fan or convection oven.
Line two 8" square pans with parchment or grease and dust them to prevent sticking.
Blend the eggs, salt, vanilla extract and cocoa with 150 g of the white sugar and all of the brown sugar until thoroughly mixed. If you are using a stand mixer, do not blend at very high speed or for too long, since we do not want to incorporate air into the mixture.
Melt the butter and blend the remaining sugar until the mixture is smooth. If you use large grained sugar, it might take a lot of effort to dissolve the sugar, which is why I prefer to use powdered sugar. In a pinch, you can make your own powdered sugar by blitzing it in a food processor for a few seconds. The smooth dissolved sugar helps with the much-coveted shiny crust we are trying to achieve.
Chop up the chocolate into chips. Use a double-boiler to melt 150 g of the chocolate. If you don't have a double boiler, just fill a large bowl half way with water, place another bowl on top of it and keep them on a low flame. Remember to take off the heat when just melted, and not overheat it. Be careful not to let any of the water splash into the chocolate. Even a single drop of water can cause the chocolate to seize. This is the only step that has the potential to go wrong, so go slow.
You can also use the microwave to melt the chocolate, by using 10 second bursts until it is melted. My experience with microwaves is that they cause hot spots and you may end up with hot bubbling chocolate in one part of the bowl, and cold and solid just inches away.
Mix the chocolate into the butter and sugar mixture and blend until turns smooth.
Pour the butter, sugar and chocolate into the egg mixture you prepared earlier, constantly mixing. The butter mixture should be just hot enough to the touch, but not so hot that it cooks the eggs! Test it with your finger before you mix it.
Sift the flour, espresso powder and baking soda and add it in batches to the butter and egg mixture, while constantly mixing. The coffee is just to elevate the chocolate flavour, and will not give the end result a coffee flavour. Also, do not over-mix the batter or try to turn it fluffy. The baking soda in this recipe is for neutralising the acidity in the cocoa and not for raising the batter. Remember, we are baking brownies, and too much baking soda or air in the batter will turn this into a cake, which by itself is not a disaster but if it does turn out like that, remember to refer to it as cake while you serve it so as to not confuse your audience. 😉
Finally, mix the walnuts and the rest of the chocolate chips into the batter. You can also sprinkle them over the top after pouring the batter into the pans.
Divide the batter into two pre-lined or pre-greased pans, and flatten the batter out by spreading it with a spatula if necessary. Unlike cake batter, it is acceptable to let brownie batter sit in the pan for a few minutes. I like to tap the pans firmly onto the counter a few times to encourage any trapped air to bubble upwards.
After letting stray air to bubble out of the batter by resting the pans for a few minutes, place them on a rack in the centre of the oven. Bake for about 35-45 minutes. Baking it in this way makes for some amazingly fudgy brownies that are still a bit soft in the centre. If you like your brownies more traditional and evenly done, reduce the heat to about 160°C (320°F) or 135°C (275°F) if using a fan or convection oven, and proceed to bake for between 45-60 minutes. Don't worry if you see the batter bubbling or boiling after a while, it might compromise the smooth shiny top crust, but it will still make for a delicious brownie.
Test if the brownies are done by poking a toothpick or small knife. It should come back clear or with very few crumbs. If you see the top cooking much faster than the insides, cover the pan with some foil and check again after 5-10 minutes.
Once the brownies are done, remove the pans and cool them completely on a rack. Cut them into 9 squares when cool. Enjoy with some vanilla ice-cream or a good chilled coffee frappe!
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Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 170°C (340°F) or 145°C (295°F) if using a fan or convection oven.
Line two 8" square pans with parchment or grease and dust them to prevent sticking.
Blend the eggs, salt, vanilla extract and cocoa with 150 g of the white sugar and all of the brown sugar until thoroughly mixed. If you are using a stand mixer, do not blend at very high speed or for too long, since we do not want to incorporate air into the mixture.
Melt the butter and blend the remaining sugar until the mixture is smooth. If you use large grained sugar, it might take a lot of effort to dissolve the sugar, which is why I prefer to use powdered sugar. In a pinch, you can make your own powdered sugar by blitzing it in a food processor for a few seconds. The smooth dissolved sugar helps with the much-coveted shiny crust we are trying to achieve.
Chop up the chocolate into chips. Use a double-boiler to melt 150 g of the chocolate. If you don't have a double boiler, just fill a large bowl half way with water, place another bowl on top of it and keep them on a low flame. Remember to take off the heat when just melted, and not overheat it. Be careful not to let any of the water splash into the chocolate. Even a single drop of water can cause the chocolate to seize. This is the only step that has the potential to go wrong, so go slow.
You can also use the microwave to melt the chocolate, by using 10 second bursts until it is melted. My experience with microwaves is that they cause hot spots and you may end up with hot bubbling chocolate in one part of the bowl, and cold and solid just inches away.
Mix the chocolate into the butter and sugar mixture and blend until turns smooth.
Pour the butter, sugar and chocolate into the egg mixture you prepared earlier, constantly mixing. The butter mixture should be just hot enough to the touch, but not so hot that it cooks the eggs! Test it with your finger before you mix it.
Sift the flour, espresso powder and baking soda and add it in batches to the butter and egg mixture, while constantly mixing. The coffee is just to elevate the chocolate flavour, and will not give the end result a coffee flavour. Also, do not over-mix the batter or try to turn it fluffy. The baking soda in this recipe is for neutralising the acidity in the cocoa and not for raising the batter. Remember, we are baking brownies, and too much baking soda or air in the batter will turn this into a cake, which by itself is not a disaster but if it does turn out like that, remember to refer to it as cake while you serve it so as to not confuse your audience. 😉
Finally, mix the walnuts and the rest of the chocolate chips into the batter. You can also sprinkle them over the top after pouring the batter into the pans.
Divide the batter into two pre-lined or pre-greased pans, and flatten the batter out by spreading it with a spatula if necessary. Unlike cake batter, it is acceptable to let brownie batter sit in the pan for a few minutes. I like to tap the pans firmly onto the counter a few times to encourage any trapped air to bubble upwards.
After letting stray air to bubble out of the batter by resting the pans for a few minutes, place them on a rack in the centre of the oven. Bake for about 35-45 minutes. Baking it in this way makes for some amazingly fudgy brownies that are still a bit soft in the centre. If you like your brownies more traditional and evenly done, reduce the heat to about 160°C (320°F) or 135°C (275°F) if using a fan or convection oven, and proceed to bake for between 45-60 minutes. Don't worry if you see the batter bubbling or boiling after a while, it might compromise the smooth shiny top crust, but it will still make for a delicious brownie.
Test if the brownies are done by poking a toothpick or small knife. It should come back clear or with very few crumbs. If you see the top cooking much faster than the insides, cover the pan with some foil and check again after 5-10 minutes.
Once the brownies are done, remove the pans and cool them completely on a rack. Cut them into 9 squares when cool. Enjoy with some vanilla ice-cream or a good chilled coffee frappe!