Saturday 3 April 2010

It's Easter so time for a chocolate break

It's Easter so time for a chocolate break from all the household chores.

Here is a recipe for flourless chocolate brownies, courtesy of Nigella Lawson which is delicious and very easy to make. You would not know it is flourless so it is suitable for everyone who likes chocolate and cake - it does contains nuts though!

Ingredients:
225g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
225g butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
200g caster sugar
3 eggs, beaten
150g ground almonds
100g chopped walnuts

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 170 C mark 3. Melt the chocolate and butter gently
over a low heat in a heavy-based saucepan (or wack it in the micro and melt
it gently that way)

2. Take the pan off the heat, mix in the vanilla and sugar and let it cool
a little (this is so that the eggs don't start cooking when you add them
in).

3. Beat the eggs into the pan along with the ground almonds and chopped
walnuts. Turn into a 24cm square baking tin, or most sensibly, use a foil
one (or line a baking tin with greased proof paper, which is what I did.)

4. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, by which time the top will have set
but the mixture will still be goey. (gently press with your finger and if
the top breaks then cook for a few minutes more). Once cooler, cut
carefully, four down, four across, into 16 squidgy yummy squares!




Have a piece with a cup of coffee or tea or we like to serve it as a dessert with a little fromage frais or creme freche and a few raspberries. You could freeze it but it never lasts long enough in our house to make it to the freezer !

Enjoy