Brownies with caramelized hazelnuts

Name: Brownies with caramelized hazelnuts
Ingredients: 200 g dark chocolate; 200 g butter; 3 eggs; 250 g sugar; 1 vial rum essence; 150 g flour; 3 tablespoons cocoa; 80 g hazelnuts; 3 tablespoons sugar; 200 g dark chocolate; 200 ml heavy cream; 500 ml water

Dessert - Brownies with caramelized hazelnuts by Paula I. - Recipia

Brownies with caramelized hazelnuts bake for 25-30 minutes and stay moist in the middle, beneath ganache and crunchy hazelnuts. The dense base holds the layer of chocolate well; I serve them cut into squares with coffee and prefer to chop the hazelnuts coarsely, not finely, so you can see the pieces. Prep: 25 minutes. Cook: 44 minutes. Rest: 75 minutes. Total time: 144 minutes. Servings: 12. Approximately 565 kcal and 8 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

For the brownies

200 g dark chocolate
200 g butter
3 eggs
250 g sugar
1 vial rum essence
150 g flour
3 tablespoons cocoa

For the hazelnuts

80 g hazelnuts
3 tablespoons sugar

For the ganache

200 g dark chocolate
200 ml heavy cream

For the water bath

500 ml water

Preparation

1. Pour 500 ml water into a saucepan and bring it to a gentle simmer. Break the dark chocolate for the brownies into pieces and put it in a heatproof bowl with the butter. Set the bowl over the saucepan and stir for 5 minutes, until you have a glossy mixture. Leave it to cool for 15 minutes. 2. Beat the eggs with the sugar and rum essence for 3 minutes. Stir in the cooled chocolate mixture, then sift in the flour and cocoa and mix until no lumps remain. 3. Pour the mixture into a 20 × 30 cm baking pan lined with parchment paper. Bake at 180°C for 27 minutes, until the top is set and the middle still gives slightly when touched. 4. Toast the hazelnuts in a nonstick pan for 4 minutes, stirring, until fragrant. Rub them in a clean tea towel to remove as much of the skins as possible. 5. Melt the sugar in a clean, dry pan for about 3 minutes, until it turns amber. Add the hazelnuts and stir, then spread them on parchment paper and leave to cool for 20 minutes. Chop them with a knife. 6. Use the same water bath for the ganache. Put the dark chocolate for the ganache and the heavy cream in the bowl and stir for 5 minutes, until smooth. Leave to cool for 10 minutes without whipping. 7. Leave the base to cool for 30 minutes. Spread the ganache on top and sprinkle with the caramelized hazelnuts.

Notes

I serve them with unsweetened coffee; I bake them a few hours before the meal so the base is cool when I add the ganache. Covered, they keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can replace the hazelnuts with the same amount of walnuts or almonds; the cake contains gluten, nuts, dairy and eggs. I use a 20 × 30 cm pan, so the base can hold the layer of cream. For the dark chocolate, I choose a plain one, without fillings, so it melts evenly into the mixture and the ganache.