Double Chocolate Brownies

Too bad I have no vanilla ice cream on hand…
So I’ll have to use chocolate ice cream as a substitute!

I’ve made brownies that have a more cake-like texture. This time I made one that is sticky and chewy and also irresistible. So if you like sticky, dense and chewy brownies, these are the ones you should be looking at. (:

Hmmm, I have a question.

Do you like brownies at the side? Or brownies at the center?

Some of my friends like those at the sides because there’s more crispy crust, others like the center ones more because there’s less crust?

Well, of course to me it makes no difference. Corner brownies or center brownies – they are still brownies! Luxurious, rich, paired with a scoop of ice cream… mmm… divine.

You prefer the corner piece?

I went to Singapore Zoological Gardens a few days back and these brownies are made to be served as dessert during the trip. I’m really surprised by how much the zoo has changed. There are more close-up moments with the animals and seriously, I didn’t expect it to be this fun and enjoyable. I do hope X enjoyed the trip as much as I did. (:

P.S. If by any chance you are going to the zoo, remember to bring your own food and drinks! The prices of the food and drinks there are extremely stunning. Really stunning, no kidding. It will be more worthwhile to pack some food (like sandwiches) and drinks to help to save your pocket from getting a hole! (:

Okay, so back to these brownies. This brownie recipe is adapted from 500 Chocolate Delights by Lauren Floodgate. I substituted walnuts with pecans as I couldn’t find pecans in the supermarket (which is honestly quite puzzling). The brownies turned out to have a pretty strong nutty flavour. So if you are not a very big fan of nuts, either reduce the quantity or omit it. I have already cut down the amount of sugar in the brownies but I still find it a little bit too sweet. I wonder if it’s partly because of the white chocolate.

Or the center piece?

Nevertheless, these brownies are deliciously sticky and rich. And they taste soooo good. We paired them with Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream that day at the zoo, but unfortunately the sweetness of the brownies totally overwhelmed that of the ice cream – so you know how sweet those little brownies are. I also omitted the frosting as honestly, I think they are rich enough to go without the frosting.

That being said… here’s the recipe!

Double Chocolate Brownies (makes 16 small squares)
adapted from 500 Chocolate Delights by Lauren Floodgate

Brownies
85 grams pecans/walnuts (3.5 ounces)
115 grams dark chocolate, minimum 70% cocoa content (4 ounces)
140 grams unsalted butter (5 ounces)
2 eggs
115 grams caster sugar (4 ounces)
few drops vanilla extract
55 grams self-raising flour, sifted (2 ounces)
85 grams white chocolate, roughly chopped (3.5 ounces)

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius. Grease a 20-cm (8-inch) square cake tin. Lay a piece of greaseproof paper on a baking sheet.

Chop the pecans/walnuts into desired size and transfer onto the greaseproof paper-lined baking sheet. Toast the nuts for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the nuts are lightly toasted and fragrant. Transfer the nuts to a bowl and let cool.

Use the greaseproof paper and line the bottom of the greased cake tin (trim if necessary), leaving an overhang on two sides (for easy removal of the brownies later).

Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pan of simmering water (double boiler), then remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.

Beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla until the sugar has been incorporated. Stir in the melted chocolate mixture with a large rubber spatula before gently folding in the flour, pecans and white chocolate till combined. Try not to overmix. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 30 minutes until the center is just firm to the touch. The top may crack a little but it’s okay. The insides will still be wet so don’t use the tooth-pick test – it won’t be accurate! Set the tin on a wire rack to cool completely.

To serve, run a hot knife along the edge of the brownies and use the overhang to lift the brownies out. Cut the brownies into square using a knife (dipped into hot water and wiped dry), wiping the knife clean between cuts. Serve dusted with icing sugar and/or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

*If you want a frosting for the brownies, the recipe recommeneded a soured cream frosting. Here’s the quantities:

115 grams dark chocolate, minimum 70% cocoa content (4 counces)
60 ml soured cream, room temperature

Make sure your sour cream is at room temperature before beginning, else your frosting will fail!

Melt the chocolate in a bowl ovr a pan of simmering water. Remove from the heat and stir in the sour cream until smooth and glossy. Spread the frosting over the top of the brownie and chill until set. Cut into squares and serve.

*If you are using a 22-cm (9-inch) square cake tin like me, the resulting brownies will be flatter, and bake for 20 minutes instead of 30 minutes!

Happy baking!