The tree is up and decorated, the turkey and goose are nearly ready to be collected and there’s just time to squeeze in one last recipe before the family arrives for Christmas.
Make these chocolatey, fudgy, gently spiced brownies as an alternative to a traditional fruit cake, for a dessert or just for a sweet treat with a cup of coffee or tea … they’re versatile enough to fit in pretty much anywhere.
I hope you all have a very happy holiday, wherever you are and whatever you’re doing. Thanks for the sharing of food and friendship … see you after Christmas!
Christmas Brownies
Ingredients:
100g butter
200g 70% dark chocolate, chopped
4 eggs, preferably free range
150g caster sugar
100g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
30g unsweetened cocoa powder
1 or 2 tsp ground ginger, to taste
1/2 tsp powdered cinnamon
1/4 tspn ground cardamom
80g chopped pecans or walnuts
Zest of 1 orange
Icing sugar, to garnish (optional)
Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4 and line a 22cm square brownie tin with baking or silicone paper.
Melt the butter and chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water, making sure the base of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Take off the heat and cool to room temperature.
Beat the eggs and sugar in a bowl until doubled in size. If you lift the whisks out of the mixture you should be able to see ribbons on the surface as it drips back into the bowl.
When the chocolate is cool enough, pour it into the eggs. It will sink to the bottom, so using a rubber spatula, gently scoop it up and mix it into the eggs with a figure of eight motion. Try not to knock all the air out.
Sieve the flour, cocoa, baking powder and spices into the bowl and mix in again using the same gentle figure of eight movement. Fold in the chopped nuts and pour the mixture into the lined tin.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the top is shiny and cracked but the inside is still slightly wobbly. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before attempting to remove from the tin.
If you like, take Christmas stencils (trees, reindeer, stars, snowflakes, whatever takes your fancy), lay them on top of the brownie, then dust with icing sugar. Remove the stencils and serve, cut into squares.
And a happy Christmas to you and your family Linda. I’m dodging cooking entirely this Christmas, going to my son and family. And he likes to do the lot in the kitchen, without help. Not arguing….
Lucky you! Put your feet up and enjoy your Christmas … warmest best wishes to all the family. Lx
Happy Christmas to you! This brownie recipe sounds delish— will try it instead of the usual Joy of Cooking one. I always use pistachio kernels this time of year for a festive touch x
Thanks, Jan, and thanks very much for the Christmas card. Have a great holiday. Lxx
I love what you did wth the stencils! Really pretty!
Like Mimi, I love the icing sugar stencil work. I’d of never thought of that. The addition of cinnamon, cardamon, and ginger surely takes the old brownie recipe up a notch or two. Have a great holiday season and we look forward to seeing you after the holidays.
Thank you Ron and thanks for all the kind comments over the past year. See you in 2019!
Merry Christmas, Linda, and a delicious 2019!!
Thank you, and the same to you!
It’s always nice finding a new brownies recipe! Because as you said… Who doesn’t like brownies?!?!Happy Holidays!
Thank you, and season’s greetings to you, too.