Walnut Brownie

Everyone likes the good old chocolate walnut brownie. Some like it fudgy, some like it cakey. Some like it with chocolate chips, some like it with nuts. There is not a single rulebook for the perfect recipe, everyone has their own idea of "perfect chocolate brownies".

I like mine with walnuts, slightly fudgy in the centre with a little crispiness on top. And of course, I like them VERY chocolatey. Walnuts and chocolates are great together, my Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies is the perfect example!

Ingredients & Substitutes for Walnut Brownies

• Unsalted butter - use good quality unsalted butter. Cut them in small cubes the same size as the chocolates.

• Dark chocolate - a good quality, tasty dark chocolate with %60-70 cacao will make your brownies taste as good! Cut them into small cubes to make the melting process quick and even.

• Granulated sugar - it gives the "cakey" texture to the brownie. You can replace it with the same amount of caster sugar if you prefer.

• Eggs - use large eggs that weigh between 63-73 grams (for the UK). Make sure they are fresh and at room temperature.

• Vanilla paste - it is an essential ingredient for cakes, cookies and pastries. You can substitute it with vanilla extract or vanilla bean.

• Cacao powder - it adds bitterness and depth of flavour to brownies. Use a good quality without sugar cacao powder.

• All-purpose flour - it is also known as plain white flour. It is perfect for making cakes, cookies, pastries and thickening sauces. Sift it before using it in your pastries.

• Salt - Adding 1 teaspoon of salt helps to enhance the chocolate flavour of the brownies.

• Walnuts - they are the favorite nuts that I like to include in a chocolate brownie. But you can use any other type of nuts depending on your preferences! Hazelnuts are also commonly used in chocolate brownies. Lightly toast them for a more intense flavour before adding them to your baked goods.

How to Make Chocolate Walnut Brownie?

It is very easy to make this walnut brownie and to achieve the best results, you need to follow a few simple steps:

• Start with preheating the oven to 180°C / 350°F. Grease or line a 21 cm×21 cm (8” x 8” ) pan with parchment paper and set aside.

• Melt the butter and chocolate in a glass heat resistance bowl with the bain-marie method (place the bowl in a saucepan ⅓ filled with simmering water, without touching the bowl to the water). Once melted, take the bowl from the saucepan and whisk the mixture until combined well.

• Add the sugar in the mixture and whisk the mixture until combined well. Then whisk in the eggs and vanilla for 5 minutes. In a separate bowl, mix the cocoa powder, flour, salt and walnuts. 

• Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Do not over mix at this stage. The dry mixture does not have to mix completely (read above the tips and tricks for making the perfect brownies).

• Spread the batter into the pan. The batter will be very thick.

• Bake the brownies for 22-23 minutes. It is key to not overcook the brownies. To understand if the brownies are ready, insert a toothpick into the centre of the pan. If it's covered with wet batter, the brownies are not cooked. If there are only a few moist crumbs, the brownies are ready. Make sure you keep checking the brownies every 2 minutes until you have moist crumbs. Remove the brownies from the oven and let them cool down for at least an hour before slicing them into squares.

• After the brownies are completely cooled down, slice them into squares. Store them covered to avoid them getting dry. Brownies can be stored for up to 1 week if stored in a well-covered container at room temperature.

Top Tips from the chef for making perfect walnut brownie

Baking the perfect chocolate walnut brownie can be tricky if you simply just mix the ingredients as if you are baking a cake. There are some crucial simple tips and tricks that you need to be watching out for to achieve the best results.

• Do not over mix the dry ingredients - This is one of the most common mistakes one makes when baking brownies. Often when baking cakes, we would like to make sure that all ingredients are completely combined. But this is not necessarily the case when it comes to brownies. Rather than whisking, gently fold the flour into the wet mixture until there are some streaks of flour left in the brownie batter. Folding in the flour completely will overdevelop the gluten. Too much gluten will cause your brownies to be dense.

• Do not overcook the brownies - This is the fatal mistake many people make when baking brownies. Overcooking your brownies will result in a cakey brownie rather than a fudgy one. Make sure you use a kitchen timer, or the timer on your phone as soon as the brownies are in the oven. Check your brownies after 18-20 minutes they are in the oven. Because even just 1-2 minutes in the oven can be the difference between perfect and okay brownies. Also, keep in mind that if you're baking your brownies in a metal tin, they will cook faster.

• Use good quality chocolate and cacao powder - The quality of your ingredients will define how good the recipe will turn out. This applies to every recipe without exception. Make sure you use good quality chocolate and cacao powder as these will give the chocolatey flavour in a brownie. If you use bad quality chocolate, don't expect your brownies to have an amazing chocolatey flavour. Adding 1 teaspoon of salt helps to enhance the chocolate flavour of the brownies.

• Make sure your eggs are at room temperature - This tip applies to the majority of baking (especially cakes), and brownies are no exception. Making sure your eggs are at room temperature will allow the brownies to naturally rise. Whereas, using cold eggs may result in a denser texture. This is because eggs mix more evenly at room temperature as egg yolks break easier, allowing them to mix more evenly with the egg whites and other ingredients. If you are interested in the science behind it, you may find this post quite interesting.

• Use baking paper - This is important to make sure that your brownies do not stick to the pan. It will also make it easier to remove the brownies from the pan. Not to mention the benefit of having a clean(er) pan after baking!

• Do not be impatient! - I know that it's tempting to devour a hot slice of chocolate brownie right away. But for your brownies to become their best selves, they need to completely cool down. Make sure you wait for at least an hour before slicing them up.

Fudgy brownies have a higher fat to flour ratio than cakey ones. If you like your walnut brownie to be fudgier, adding more butter and chocolate will do the work. The amount of sugar and eggs will not change whether you're going fudgy or cakey. I like mine not cakey, but also not too fudgy. It should be slightly fudgy in the centre while still being crispy on top!

Equipment you might find handy

I hope you enjoy the process of making these Chocolate Walnut Brownies as much as you would enjoy eating them! 🙂

Bon appétit! / Afiyet Olsun!

FOOD SAFETY

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
• Don’t leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

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Did you make this recipe?

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