CHOCOLATE AND PECAN NUT BROWNIES

BEST CHOCOLATE AND PECAN NUT BROWNIES

(Makes 24)

300 g   butter

100 g   dark chocolate (70%), chopped

40 g     good quality cacao

5 ml     vanilla extract

4          eggs

300 g   soft brown sugar

110 g   Self raising flour

80 g     chopped pecan nuts

pinch of salt

chuckles/whispers and chopped pecan nuts for sprinkling on top

METHOD:

• Preheat the oven to 180 °C and grease and line a 22cm X 30cm brownie pan with baking paper.
• Place the butter, dark chocolate, cacao and vanilla extract in a small saucepan on low heat and stir until melted.
• Remove from the heat, cool for about 10 minutes and then beat in the eggs and the brown sugar
• Mix the flour, salt and pecan nuts into the melted chocolate mixture then pour the batter into the prepared
• Bake for about 22 minutes until the brownie is set but not overcooked.
• Cool in the pan and pour over the ganache. Sprinkle over the chopped chuckles and nuts and place in the fridge to set
• Once set – cut into 24 portions

TIP: Bake until set around the edges but still fudgy in the centre – a skewer inserted in the centre should have some wet mixture on it.

GANACHE

Bring 140 ml of cream to the boil and stir in 160g chopped 70% dark chocolate.  Stir vigorously to melt the chocolate in the hot cream and pour the ganache over the cooled chocolate brownies. Sprinkle over some more chopped nuts AND chopped chuckles/whispers/ and cut when completely cold and set