This weeks sweet class treats are these yummy Easter themed chocolate brownies. I know there is just about to be more chocolate than you can shake a stick at, but what the hell! Chocolate brownies are always a good recipe for school holidays to get the kids involved with too!
This recipe is from ‘Gorgeous cakes’ by Annie Bell. A book full of gorgeous cakes indeed. I substituted broken pieces of Easter egg for these super cute ultra mini eggs. The kids were very happy to polish off the left over eggs!
Ingredients:
Brownies:
300g dark chocolate (min 70%cocoa solids), broken up
180g unsalted butter diced
180g golden caster sugar
4 medium eggs, and 1 egg yolk
115g ground almonds 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
115g plain flour
1 heaped teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons espresso or strong black coffee
100g Brazil nuts, thinly sliced
Icing:
50g dark chocolate, broken up
15g unsalted butter
75g dark or milk chocolate Easter egg, broken into 2cm pieces ( I used the mini mini eggs).
icing sugar for dusting.
How to make:
Preheat the oven to 170c fan/190c/gas mark 5. You need a tin 30 x 19 x 4cm, or the equivalent in size. Provided it is non-stick there’s no need to butter and flour it. To make the brownies, melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Remove from the the heat, add the sugar and stir to combine, then leave to cool slightly, add the eggs and the egg yolk to the chocolate mixture one by one, beating after each addition, the mixture should be very glossy. Gently fold in the ground almonds and the salt, sift over the flour and baking powder and fold in without over-mixing. Stir in the coffee and fold in the brazil nuts.
Pour the chocolate mixture into the tin, and bake for 20-30 minutes until set but slightly wet in the centre. A skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean but with a few moist crumbs clinging. Run a knife around the edge of the tin, then leave the cake to cool.
To make the icing, melt the chocolate and the butter as above, then leave to cool to room temperature. Cut the cake into 5cm squares. Smooth 1/2 teaspoon of the icing in the centre of each brownie and stick a couple of chards of Easter egg into each one. Leave for about 1 hour to set. Dust with icing sugar, then carefully remove the brownies to a plate with a palette knife.
