The ultimate chocolate treat: Cocoa brownies

Hey, you.

You who need a treat right now.

A real treat.

Like chocolate.

But not just a square of chocolate…

You want something richer.

You want something luscious and decadent.

You want something  delicious and intense.

You want brownies.

Scrumptious, fudge-like brownies that will leave you with a smile on your face, and remind you that life is full of little pleasures.

You want these brownies.

So what are you waiting for? Get the oven going and start baking!

P.S. These brownies are addictive. If you don’t want to gain a few extra pounds, eat sparingly…Just have one brownie and share the rest with your friends. Don’t say I didn’t warn you

Tips & Notes

• I used brown rice flour to make this recipe gluten-free, however you can also use plain (all purpose) flour with excellent results.
• Use the best quality unsweetened cocoa you can get; I mostly use Green & Black’s organic cocoa.
• I used toasted pecan nuts, however you can use other nuts if you prefer; hazelnuts and walnuts work particularly well.
• After baking, I usually let the brownies chill completely and then keep them in the fridge for a few hours before cutting into squares; this makes the cutting easier.
• You can eat the brownies as they are or you can dust them with icing sugar. If you are serving them as a dessert, add  a dollop of whipped cream or some vanilla ice-cream.

Cocoa Brownies (gluten free)

(makes 16 dense, fudge-like brownies)

140 gr. unsalted butter (5 oz.)

280 gr. vanilla sugar (9.9 oz.)

90 gr. unsweetened, good quality cocoa powder (3.2 oz.)

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs,

65 gr. brown rice flour (2.3 oz.)

60 gr. pecan nuts, toasted and chopped coarsely (2.1 oz.)

• Preheat oven to 165° C (325° F),
• Spread the pecan nuts on a shallow baking tray, in a single layer, and let them dry in the oven at 80° (175° F) for about 10 minutes. Chop the nuts coarsely.
• Line a 20 x 20 cm (8 x 8 in) square baking tin with parchment paper, leaving some paper to overhang on two opposite sides (to help you lift the brownies when cooked).
• Half-fill a small pan with water, place on medium heat until simmering. Pour butter in a medium heatproof bowl, then place the bowl over the pan, lower the heat and let the butter melt.
• Stir the cocoa in until combined, then add salt and vanilla sugar and whisk until combined in a gritty mix. The mix should be warm but not hot.
• Take the bowl off the heat, stir in vanilla extract with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, then add eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously until the batter looks thick, shiny and smooth.
• Add the chopped nuts and flour to the cake batter and stir for 40 strokes.
• Pour the batter into the lined baking tin and bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes off slightly moist with batter.
• Let the brownies cool for 10 minutes in the tin, then lift the brownies from the cake tin, place on a wire rack and let cool completely,
• Slice into 16 brownies.
• Store in an airtight container placing some wax paper between each layer, for 3 days, in the refrigerator.

Recipe adapted from Alice Medrich “Bittersweet”

For a printable recipe, click here.

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Tagged as: baking, brownies, chocolate, gluten-free, video recipe