Part 1 - Cocoa Brownies
We like to think we have a pretty refined and difficult to beat chocolate based brownie recipe. Yesterday, we experimented to find a cocoa brownie to rival it's more extravagant sibling! The results... let's just say the proof is in the pudding and there aren't many left!
Chewy, dense brownie with a good crust - makes 12 good sized brownies
Used to using 70% callebaut chocolate, we wondered whether we would achieve the same richness using cocoa. Not only is the result rich, but it has a really lovely texture. There are a few caveats, you need to buy the best cocoa powder, we used Green and Blacks, and we added hazlenuts to add some crunch to the texture. The recipe has a good pinch of Maldon Sea Salt - this made the result deliciously moreish.
The recipe is based on a recipe from Seriously Bitter Sweet by Alice Medrich.
First of all set up a double boiler, and melt the butter. Then add cocoa, salt and sugar. We found that the mixture at this point looked a little grainy. Don't worry - it sorts itself out.
You can see the mix looks grainy half way through the recipe....
Beat in the eggs one by one, and stir until the mixture looks smooth and glossy. Then mix in flour. The recipe says to beat with 50 strokes - we think this helps keep the mix light. Then throw in a handful of nuts.
...and now glossy and smooth
Then tip into a 8" square tin and bake at 170 degrees C, until set. Mix should be slightly wet still.
Ingredients
140g unsalted butter
250g caster sugar
80g Green and Blacks cocoa
1/4 tsp Maldon Sea Salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cold large eggs
65g plain flour
65g pecans or hazlenuts