Chocolate and Hazelnut Brownie
Chocolate and Hazelnut Brownie Recipe
Ingredients (make 2 batches of brownie)
200g chopped good dark chocolate (70% cocoa minimum)
250g diced unsalted butter (plus 2 tsp for buttering the tins)
2 tbsp brown rice flour (buckwheat flour works too)
2 tbsp cocoa powder (plus 2 tsp for dusting the tins)
1/2 tsp baking powder
5 large free range eggs
200g caster sugar
100g chopped roasted hazelnuts
Preheat the oven to 180ºC (160ºC fan).
1. Butter a 20cm x 20cm square tin. Dust with one teaspoon of cocoa powder. Tap the excess out. (If you have two tins, repeat the process with the second one; if like me you do not, reserve half of the batter and bake it later. A 20cm diametre round tin works well too, no need to rush outside and buy a new tin just for the recipe!)
2. Place a saucepan (filled with only 1/4 cold water) over a low heat and let it simmer. Put a large bowl (glass or metal) on top of the saucepan. It should not be in contact with the water, and the water should not boil. This is to start the process of what is called bain-marie.
Put the chopped chocolate and the diced butter in the bowl. Let it melt and stir gently with a wooden spoon until the texture is lovely and silky.
3. Once melted, take it off the saucepan (and the heat). Add the sugar and cocoa powder and mix well together.
At this stage, I would let it cool down for 5 to 10 minutes.
Then, add the eggs one by one and mix well after each of them.
4. Incorporate the flour and baking powder in the batter. Then, fold the chopped hazelnuts in it.
Divide the batter between the two tins (or pour half in your tin and keep the rest for the next batch).
Place in the middle of the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Check every now and then how the cake is doing; when finished, it should still be slightly gooey in the centre. Take it out and let it cool down for 30 minutes before unmoulding.
Cut your brownie in squares. Serve it hot or cold (when cooled down properly, the brownies are delicious and fudge-like) with vanilla ice cream (and maybe some hot chocolate sauce on top... that would be very indulgent but why not!).
Bon appétit!