Maria’s Bittersweet Chocolate Brownies

If you like your chocolate dark and your coffee black with no sugar you will love these brownies. I asked my friend Maria to share some of her favorite holiday recipes and this is one of the ones she gave me, a bittersweet chocolate brownie with espresso and rapadura. Maria is from Spain, the Canary Islands to be precise, and a passionate foodie. Last weekend she hosted a BBQ where she served up to most flavorful vegetarian paella I’ve ever had. I tried to get the recipe but it turned out to be one of those improvised dishes that can never quite be replicated. What I really love about her food is that she always puts her own style into what she makes and it is always the better for it.

These brownies are no exception. Far from your average brownie, they are intensely dark, bittersweet, and have a wonderful hint of molasses from the rapadura. They are far from healthy, but who wants to eat a healthy brownie? I’d much rather savor half as much of a deliciously indulgent brownie any day.

Rapadura, also known as muscovado, is the whole, unrefined evaporated sugar cane juice and is processed naturally so it is free from any harmful chemicals or bleaching agents. It is nutritionally rich (especially high in iron) and retains all natural mineral and vitamin content present inherent in sugar cane juice. It adds a stunning depth or flavor to many baked goods. Look for it in any good health food store or substitute brown sugar.

Bittersweet Chocolate Brownies Recipe
7oz / 200g / 1¾ sticks unsalted butter, cut into cubes
7oz / 200g dark chocolate (minimum 70%), broken into pieces
2 tablespoons espresso or strong black coffee
4 eggs, yolks separated
¾ cup rapadura sugar
¼ cup wholewheat pastry flour or zentrofan fine wheat flour or all-purpose
½ teaspoon fine ground sea salt
¼ cup hazelnuts

For the icing:
¼ cup rapadura sugar
1 tablespoon cream
1oz / 60g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
¼ cup unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 350F / 180C. Grease a 9 inch (20cm) square cake pan and line with parchment paper. (I used 2 x loaf pans because for some reason I do not own a square cake pan, yet I have two loaf tins. Go figure…)

Melt the butter, chocolate and coffee in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally. Whisk in half the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until thick and glossy.

Whisk the egg yolks with the remaining sugar in a large bowl for several minutes , until pale and doubled in volume. Fold the chocolate and butter into the yolk and sugar mixture. Sift over the flour and salt and gently fold into the mixture.

Beat the egg whites until fluffy and forming stiff peaks. Gently fold into the mixture. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Give it a light tap on the counter-top a couple of times to bring up any large bubbles. Bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack.

Meanwhile, spread the hazelnuts in a small baking pan and bake at 350F / 180C for 10-12 minutes or until golden. Leave to cool, brush of the skins and coarsely chop.

To make the icing, melt the sugar and cream in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring until completely smooth. Add the chocolate and butter and continue to heat, whisking until smooth and glossy.

Trickle the icing over the brownies so that it runs down the sides as well. Scatter with nuts and leave to set for an hour or so before cutting into pieces.

Makes 16 small brownies.