Pecan and Hazelnut Blondies

I made these with my friend Hannah after we’d finished our finals at uni – they’re very sweet but the nut content cuts through their richness, making them utterly more-ish! White chocolate has a reputation of being a bit temperamental, because of its lack of cocoa solids, meaning it can split easily, but as long as you melt it slowly, stirring regularly you’ll be fine.

Hazelnut and Pecan Blondies

 

Makes 15 pieces

Ingredients:

75g marg/unsalted butter

500g white chocolate

3 large eggs

175g caster sugar

175g self raising flour

pinch of salt

100g hazelnuts (chopped)

100g pecans (chopped)

1.5tsp vanilla extract

10 x 8 in. baking tin, greased and lined

170oC fan oven/190oC other ovens

Method:

1. Melt 125g of the white chocolate carefully in the microwave – stir regularly to prevent it burning.
2. In a separate, large bowl whisk the eggs and sugar together until smooth, then beat in the melted chocolate – make sure it’s not too hot or you’ll end up with chocolate scrambled eggs; leaving it to stand for 5 minutes after it’s melted will do.
3. Fold in the flour, salt, remaining chocolate in chunks, nuts and vanilla essence until everything is incorporated, but don’t over mix.
4. Pour the mixture into your prepared tin and bake in the middle of your preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until a golden crust has formed on the Blondies but they’re still soft underneath.
5. Leave to cool slightly in the tin, slice into 15 and turn out onto a wire rack to cool further. These are gorgeous hot, cold, warm with tea, coffee or milk – however you fancy, and if there's any left will keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container.

These are ridiculously easy; you can change the nuts to whatever you prefer or use milk or dark chocolate chips instead of the extra white chocolate, they're a great go to bake if you need something quickly!

Happy Baking,

The Baking Ginger xx

Triple Chocolate Brownies with a Bourbon Biscuit Base

These are a really rich brownie, packed with bourbon biscuits and chocolate. They're great with a hot cup of tea, or a glass of milk if you're feeling nostalgic!

Triple Chocolate Brownies with a Bourbon Biscuit Base

Bashed up Bourbon biscuits

Makes 24 pieces

Ingredients:

Bourbon Base:
50g plain flour
400g Bourbon biscuits (plus approx. 10 extra for decorating the top of brownies)
100g dark brown sugar
100g unsalted butter
125g golden syrup

Brownie Topping:
250g chocolate (a mixture of dark and milk, depending on what you prefer)
250g unsalted butter
4 large eggs
150g dark brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
75g plain flour
0.25tsp baking powder
1 tbsp cocoa powder

Biscuit base before cooking

 250g chopped chocolate (any combination of dark, milk or white chocolate)
Pinch of salt

Oven at 180oC fan/190oC electric

Method:

1. Crush the Bourbon biscuits in a bowl - either crumbling them with your hands, or with the end of the rolling pin - then add the flour and mix together.

2. In a pan over a medium heat, mix the butter sugar and syrup in a pan and stir until the butter has melted and everything is combined.

3. Add the butter mix to the Bourbon mix and stir until combined.

4. Press the mix into a lined and greased baking tray and bake in the centre of a preheated oven at 180oC for 10-15 mins, until it is getting slightly browner around the edges, and is starting to resemble a sponge-like mix.

Cooked base and raw brownie topping

5. Whilst the base is baking make the brownies; heat the butter and 250g of chocolate over a bain marie until smooth.

6. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, brown sugar and vanilla extract. Whisk until the mix is pale and thick.

7. To the egg mix, add the flour, cocoa, baking powder and chocolate and salt. Stir gently until smooth.

8. Once it’s cooled slightly, carefully add the melted butter and chocolate to the egg and flour mix, taking care not over mix or the chocolate will seize and go grainy.

9. Once the Bourbon base is cooked, pour the brownie mix over the top. Cut up the remaining 10 Bourbon biscuits in half diagonally and press gently into the top of the raw brownie mix. Return to the oven for a further 25-30 minutes.

10. To test the brownie use a skewer or sharp knife; you want to take the brownies out of the oven when the skewer comes out slightly dirty still, so your brownies will still be fudgy once they’ve cooled.

Brownies before baking

11. Once baked leave to cool and set in the tin - they will be very soft, but leave them to cool completely and they'll set up nicely. Cut into 24 pieces and serve.

These are best a day or two after baking, as the base becomes slightly less sweet, but still cuts through the richness of the brownie topping.

They'll keep for up to a week in an airtight container.

Happy Baking,

Cooked brownies

The Baking Ginger xx

Brownies ready to eat!

Chocolate and Nut Brownies with a Salted Pretzel Base

I got the recipe for the pretzel base of these brownies from a friend at work who's an amazing baker, and the brownie topping is my go-to brownie recipe - always delicious and very versatile; add whatever combination of chocolate pieces and nuts you want. If you like salted caramel you'll love these! They are totally worth the two step process, and a great twist on a classic.

Chocolate and Nut Brownies with a Salted Pretzel Base

Makes 24 pieces

Blitzed pretzels

Ingredients:

Pretzel Base:

65g plain flour

150g salted pretzels

100g dark brown sugar

100g unsalted butter

125g golden syrup

Brownie Topping:

250g chocolate (a mixture of dark and milk, depending on what you prefer)

250g unsalted butter

4 large eggs

175g dark Muscavado sugar

Pretzel base before baking

1 tsp vanilla extract

75g plain flour

0.25tsp baking powder

1 tbsp cocoa powder

200g chopped nuts (I used pecans and hazelnuts)

100g chopped chocolate (again; dark, milk or white chocolate)

Pinch of salt

Oven at 180oC fan/190oC electric

Method:

1. Blitz the pretzels in a food processor, or crush the end of a rolling pin, then add the flour and mix together.

2. In a pan over a medium heat, mix the butter sugar and syrup in a pan and stir until the butter has melted and everything is combined.

3. Add to the pretzels to the butter mix and mix together until combined.

Baked base

4. Press the mix into a lined and greased baking tray and bake in the centre of a preheated oven at 180oC for 10-15 mins.

5. Whilst the base is baking make the brownies; heat the butter and 250g of chocolate over a bain marie until smooth.

6. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, Muscavado sugar and vanilla extract. Whisk until the mix is pale and thick.

7. To the egg mix, add the flour, cocoa, baking powder, chopped nuts and chocolate and salt. Stir gently until smooth.

8. Once it’s cooled slightly, carefully add the melted butter and chocolate to the egg and flour mix, taking care not over mix or the chocolate will seize and go grainy.

Egg Mix

9. Once the pretzel base is cooked, pour the brownie mix over the top and return to the oven for a further 20-25 minutes.

10. To test the brownie use a skewer or sharp knife; you want to take the brownies out of the oven when the skewer comes out slightly dirty still, so your brownies will still be fudgy once they’ve cooled.

11. Once baked leave to cool and set in the tin. Cut into 24 pieces and serve - they're great warm out of the oven with vanilla ice cream...

Ready for the oven!

These will keep for 3 or 4 days in an airtight container, but they definitely won’t hang around long enough for you to find that out!

Happy Baking!

The Baking Ginger xx

Pretzel Brownie Stack for Mum's Birthday :)