I have had a few requests for brownies lately. Now I have mentioned before how I am not a huge fan of them, as they are a bit too dense for my liking. My previous recipe for Chocolate Brownies is for a thicker, more cake like brownie.

As I know that most brownie fans like a chewy or fudgey texture, I set about researching different recipes. After a lot of reading up on it, I came up with this recipe for Chocolate Brownies with Pecans. And do you know what? I quite like them myself. But then I’ll pretty much eat anything with dark chocolate in it.

This is an ideal dessert if you have to make one in advance as I think it actually benefits from ‘resting’ overnight before cutting it into portions. The nuts are optional, feel free to leave them out.

Useful tips & links:

• I use a brownie tray which measures 11″ x 7″ and this amount of batter makes a shallow enough brownie. You can make it in an 8″ square cake tin and you will get thicker brownies from that.
• I use soft dark brown sugar in these as I like the slightly treacly flavour it gives them. Ordinary caster sugar will be fine if you have it.
• The brownies will keep for several days in an air tight tin. They also freeze really well, just wrap the pieces individually in parchment paper before freezing.
• Another chocolate favourite is this Chocolate Fondant, and this has to be My Favourite Chocolate Cake.
• For more brownie ideas see these Gluten Free Chocolate Brownies from Joanne on Stitch and Bear, or these Chocolate Raspberry Brownies from Aoife of Babaduck.

Chocolate Brownies with Pecans

Makes 8 generous portions

Ingredients:

• 100g of unsalted butter
• 40g of cocoa
• 70g of good quality plain chocolate
• 2 large eggs
• 225g of soft dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 75g of self raising flour
• A pinch of salt
• 50g of pecans (optional)

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180c/160c fan/gas mark 4. Line a 11″x 7″ brownie pan or 8″x 8″ square inch tin with parchment paper.
• If you are using the pecan nuts, lightly toast them in a dry frying pan. Set aside to cool and roughly chop them.
• Melt the butter in pan and stir through the cocoa. When that is smooth break the dark chocolate into pieces and add them into the pan. Gently heat to melt the chocolate. Once it is completely melted and glossy take it off the heat and set aside.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs, sugar and vanilla until it becomes pale and frothy and reaches the ‘ribbon stage’, which means it leaves a visible trail when you lift the whisk.
• Use a spatula to scrape the melted chocolate and butter mixture into the whisked eggs and whisk again to combine.
• Pass the flour and salt through a sieve and add them to the chocolate mix. Gently fold through until the batter is fully combined. Add the chopped pecans and fold through again.
• Pour the thick batter into the prepared tin and gently push it out towards the edge of the tin. Use a spatula to smooth the top of it.
• Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the top has started to crack and looks glossy. Take it out of the oven and allow it to cool completely in the tin.
• When cool, remove it from the tin and cut off the short edges, keep these bits as a treat for yourself. Cut into slices and serve.
• You can reheat it in a low oven for 10 minutes and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.