The dessert project

Is there anything more universal than chocolate brownies? Is there a person in the world who doesn’t love the crackly, slightly crunchy crust, chewy edges and squidgy, chocolaty, almost molten centre? It’s a good thing. Brownies are supposed to be intense, rich and overpowering. There’s nothing subtle about them, and decadence is the trademark of a brownie. Not to mention, brownies come with a side of nostalgia - who hasn’t tried making brownies as a child and almost burnt down the house? (that would be me..).

So last weekend, in a spontaneous brownie baking moment (if you know, you know) I decided to add one of my favourite ingredients to my brownie batter - peppermint! I love peppermint and dark chocolate together - it is a refreshing variation to a popular classic. PLUS - the best part is, you can use leftover brownie crumbs/chunks to make peppermint brownie vanilla ice cream - summer bonus, and a very appropriate dessert for this weather.

They taste like the brownie equivalent of after-eight and they don’t look any different than regular brownies so it comes as a pleasant surprise to someone who bites into one. They’re a crowd pleaser and up your popularity quotient if you take them to work the next day (LOL)

Ingredients:

500 g chocolate
250 g butter
4 eggs
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup flour + 1 tsp baking powder + 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tsp peppermint extract
Crushed peppermint (optional)

Process

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and chocolate together until smoothly combined. Let cool.
cream the eggs, sugar and vanilla in a bowl.
Add the cooled chocolate and butter mixture and add peppermint extract & combine well.
Add the flour mix one spoon at a time and mix well, but do not overmix.
Pour the batter into the pan and bake for about 30 - 35 minutes or until the top forms a flaky/crusty layer. The centre should not be wobbly.
When done, take it out of the oven and let the brownies cool for about a half hour.
Slice into squares, sprinkle with crushed peppermint and eat!

If there’s one thing I’m certain of, it’s chocolate. When in doubt, go the chocolate route, and chances are you wont go wrong. But speaking of going wrong, the first time I tried making brownies, they were a disaster. They were burnt to a crisp, they tasted like cardboard, had a biscuity texture and there was nothing ‘brown’ about them.

But now, some million attempts and several different recipes later, I think I’ve perfected them. I’ve made these brownies for friends at work, for my bosses, for cousins and relatives (including those who are not generous with praise) but every time, they’ve been a huge success.

They’re a little crispy on the outside, soft (almost gooey) on the inside, and they kind of melt in your mouth. They’re not super sweet, which I like, because I don’t like the ‘too-sweet’ kind that overpowers the chocolate flavour. Most importantly, they totally hit the spot on a chocolate-mood kind of day. It could get messy making them but trust me when I say that it is so worth it.

Ingredients:

3/4th cup flour + 1 tsp baking powder + 1/2 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp cocoa powder
175 gm dark cooking chocolate (70 – 85 per cent cocoa)
A little less than one cup unsalted butter
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
A jar of nutella

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius.

Melt the butter and chocolate together in a large saucepan (do this first because it'll take a while to melt and then cool)
While this is happening, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt
In a large batter bowl, beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract
When the butter and chocolate have completely melted and cooled, pour it into the eggs mixture, beating while you pour and slowly add the flour – cocoa mixture.
Beat thoroughly until all components are combined well
Pour the batter into a medium-sized brownie tin (it’s best to line your tin with butter paper)
Bake at 180 degree celcius for about 30 minutes.
Let it cool, cut into squares and coat with a spoonful of Nutella. (optional)

And then eat!

I’ve also tried a couple of variations of this – you could replace the cocoa powder with a tablespoon of coffee powder or add a handful of butterscotch chips or walnuts, they’re all great, so experiment all you want!

May your kitchen smell intensely of chocolate and your hands drip of brownie batter. Happy baking!