Nutella and Walnut Choc Chop Brownies
Nutella and walnut choc chip brownies – sounds a bit extravagant doesn’t it? Well, let’s just say this isn’t one for a fasting day if you’re doing the 5:2 diet! But they are really gooey and lovely and they are, yet again, part of my waste-not-want-not stint. Some time ago, I made lots of homemade nutella and we rather over did it on the eating the stuff front for a while and then got fed up with it. So there was one last pot, languishing in the back of the fridge and after trying nutella coated bacon, which is really very, very good but sounds all kinds of wrong, I decided it was time to give these brownies a go. It’s a recipe I’ve been thinking about for some time! And I had some walnuts in the bottom of a bag that needed to be used too!
I like my brownies to be a bit gooey in the middle so I bake them at a high temperature for a short time – if you prefer them baked through and drier, then reduce the temperature to about 160C and bake for about 45 minutes.
As I was using homemade nutella, which is best kept in the fridge, I loosened it in the microwave for 30 seconds on high before using it so it would whisk in easily. I find using a ball ended whisk really useful when making this sort of thing – when using a balloon whisk, too much stuff gets stuck in the middle and then I end up injuring my tongue in an effort not to waste it!
The measurements for the walnuts and chocolate chips don’t need to be too accurately adhered to – I used those measurements because that was what I had left over. If I’d had more, I think I’d probably have used an extra 10g or so of each.
I used bakers’ chocolate chips as they are heat stabilised which means they stay as small lumps of chocolate as opposed to dissolving into the mixture – I get them from my local supermarket, so they are widely available.
Ingredients:
225g plain flour
2 large eggs, beaten
50g soft brown sugar
275g nutella (shop bought is fine!)
30g chopped walnuts
30g white chocolate chips
30g milk chocolate chips
Method:
1. Pre-heat your oven to 180C and grease and line a 7inch square tin with baking paper so that the paper hangs over the sides slightly – enough to be able to use it to lift out the finished brownies.
2. Whisk the sugar and eggs together and then incorporate the nutella.
3. Sift in the flour and whisk until that is thoroughly combined then add in the nuts and chocolate chips and stir through so that they are evenly distributed.
4. Scoop the mixture into the prepared tin and squish it into the corners so that it is relatively even and tap the tin down on the work surface a couple of times.
5. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes when the top should be firm but the centre still a tiny bit gooey then gently lift out using the baking paper and cool on a rack. Slice into 16 squares and dust with a little icing sugar.
