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Christmas: Fudgy Chocolate Walnut Brownies

Source of Recipe

From "The Christmas Table" by Diane Morgan


Recipe Introduction

"These dense brownies are trufflelike gems with a nutty crunch and a subtle caffeine buzz. Brownie lovers typically fall into two camps: They either like cakestyle brownies or fudge-style brownies. I'm definitely in the gooey, fudgy camp, and these wondrous nuggets of cocoa and chocolate are the best I've ever tasted. They are a guaranteed hit at any cookie exchange."

List of Ingredients

◦  Vegetable-oil cooking spray for preparing the baking dish
◦  1 cup cake flour or ¾ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
◦  ¼ cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
◦  ¼ tsp kosher or sea salt
◦  ¾ tsp baking powder
◦  1½ Tbsp finely ground espresso-roast coffee beans
◦  3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
◦  ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
◦  1½ cups granulated sugar
◦  3 large eggs, beaten
◦  1 tsp pure vanilla extract
◦  ¾ cup chopped walnuts, toasted


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with vegetable-oil cooking spray. Line the bottom and sides of the pan with aluminum foil, allowing the foil to overhang the sides of the pan slightly, and then spray the foil with the cooking spray.

In a small bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder. Stir in the ground coffee and set aside.

Fill a medium saucepan one-third full with water and bring to a simmer. Place the chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl that will fit snugly on top of the pan without touching the water and place over the water. Turn the heat to low. Melt the chocolate and butter, stirring frequently, until completely smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat and stir in the sugar until combined. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla until fully incorporated. Stir in the flour mixture just until the flour is absorbed. Stir in the nuts.

Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake until a crust forms on top and the center is still somewhat gooey, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, and then cover and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

Using the foil overhang, lift the uncut brownie out of the pan and place on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut into 1-inch squares to serve. (The brownies can be made up to 3 days ahead. Layer them between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. Remove them from the refrigerator 45 minutes before serving. The brownies can be frozen for up to 1 month. Leave the brownies uncut if you plan to freeze the whole pan.)


Makes about 5 dozen bite-size brownies