Nut Brownies

From Roger Pizey author of “Small cakes”

Makes 14.

Ingredients

• 340 g (1 ½ cups) unsalted butter, melted
• 680 g (3 cups +5 tbsp) caster sugar (superfine)
• 540 g (1 lb 3 oz) 70% cocoa dark (bittersweet) chocolate, melted
• 6 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 150g (1 ¼ cups) all—purpose flour
• 150 g (5 ½ oz) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 100 g (3 ½ oz) whole hazelnuts, chopped
• 100 g (3 ½ oz) flaked (slivered) almonds

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160C/ 325F/ gas 2 ½
2. Soften butter in a bowl with a spatula, and add the sugar and melted chocolate.
3. Slowly beat in the eggs and vanilla essence.
4. Sift the flour and cocoa powder together and fold into the wet mixture.
5. Add the nuts and pour into a lightly greased 24 cm (9 ½ inch) square roasting tin.
6. Bake on a middle shelf for 40 minutes.
7. To test it is cooked, gently push a knife through to the centre — it should come clean away. Turn out to a wire rack and leave to cool.
8. Cut into 14 squares.

Top^