Almond Fudge Brownies

Brownies are sinful delicious everything-will-be-alright food. The ingredients send out so many positive impulses to our brain that there is only one thing for it to do... Tell us we are feeling good.

They were invented some when in the end of the 19^th century for a ladies pick nick and evolved from there to the varieties you find today. The original was still well baked and had an apricot glaze on it. I couldn't find any info how the fudge like moister got into it. But I guess like most great inventions by pure accident when someone removed the baking tin too early from the oven and the result was a hit with the bakeries clients.

I like them with lots of very dark chocolate and an extra portion of cocoa. It means pure happiness! They should be baked on the outside but gooey on the inside. At the centre the batter should be just set. And they should be low on sugar. Well, if that is possible. But they should not taste too sweet.

Have a glass of cold milk or hot coffee with it to balance out the intense flavours of the brownie.

I started replacing the traditional walnuts with almonds as a lot of my friends are allergic to walnuts and pecan nuts are very difficult to get here in India. Oh, and I love them plain, meaning without any topping. This is again a very personal choice. If you like it you can top them off with a nice frosting or a ganache. For me that is too much chocolate.

This recipe is for a 22x22cm square tin or a 24cm round tin. I use chocolate with a minimum of 70% cocoa in it and good unsweetened cocoa.

For brownies the oven should not be too hot. If you have any doubt put a baking thermometer in the oven while pre-heating it and check the temperature before you put the brownies in. The ideal temperature is 175°C. If your oven is hotter than 180°C reduce the heat setting and leave the oven door open for 2-3 minutes before you put the brownies in the oven.

These brownies are a feast of chocolate. The 1^st step to brownie bliss is to melt 200g dark chocolate in a bowl set over a pot of boiling water. Make sure that the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl. Once the chocolate is melted set it aside to let it slightly cool down.

In a bowl I beat 100g soft unsalted butter with 170-220g vanilla sugar until it is light and fluffy and most of the sugar is dissolved. The amount of sugar you use depends on how sweet you like the brownies to be.

Most people use muscovado sugar for brownies. I prefer vanilla sugar for which I simply place a few lengthwise cut vanilla beans with lots of sugar in an airtight container and let it stand for a few days. For the vanilla sugar you can use regular white or brown sugar.

Constantly beating the mixture I add 240g egg, one egg at the time, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Then I add the melted chocolate to it and make sure everything is well combined.

In a separate bowl I mix 60g plain flour with 60g cocoa. This mixture I sift onto the chocolate mix and stir it well. Now I add 100g coarsely chopped almonds, give it a quick stir and pour the batter into the greased baking tin.

I bake it at 175°C for 25-30 minutes. When you touch the centre it should be soft. Take the brownies out of the oven and let them cool down. They taste best when they are still a little warm. I like to serve them with either plain or with a mild sour cream on the side.

Fresh out of the oven

I made these last weekend and there were some very happy smiling faces at dance class. As I said, brownies are a mood enhancer.

Enjoy and have fun in the kitchen!

Love

Carola