FOUR NUT CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

FOUR NUT CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

If you've never made brownies before, you first need to get into the brownie mode, and to do this stop thinking 'cakes'. Brownies are slightly crisp on the outside but soft, damp and squidgy within. I'm always getting letters from people who think their brownies are not cooked, so once you've accepted the description above, try and forget all about cakes.

- Delia Smith

Ingredients

1 oz (25 g) macadamia nuts

1 oz (25 g) Brazil nuts

1 oz (25 g) pecan nuts

1 oz (25 g) hazelnuts

2 oz (50 g) dark chocolate (75 per cent cocoa solids)

4 oz (110 g) butter

2 large eggs, beaten

8 oz (225 g) granulated sugar

2 oz (50 g) plain flour

1 level teaspoon baking powder

¼ level teaspoon salt

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4, 350°F (180°C)

You will also need a well-greased oblong baking tin measuring 7 x 11 inches (18 x 28 cm), lined with silicone paper (baking parchment), allowing the paper to come 1 inch (2.5 cm) above the tin.

Method

Begin by chopping the nuts roughly, not too small, then place them on a baking sheet and toast them in a pre-heated oven for 8 minutes exactly.

Please use a timer here otherwise you'll be throwing burned nuts away all day!

While the nuts are cooking, put the chocolate and butter together in a large mixing bowl fitted over a saucepan of barely simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water.

Allow the chocolate to melt, then beat it until smooth, remove it from the heat and simply stir in all the other ingredients until thoroughly blended.

Now spread the mixture evenly into the prepared tin and bake on the centre shelf of the oven for 30 minutes or until it's slightly springy in the centre.

Remove the tin from the oven and leave it to cool for 10 minutes before cutting into roughly 15 squares.

Then, using a palette knife, transfer the squares on to a wire rack to finish cooling.