Chocolate and coffee brownie

I once had a tasting of cakes and brownies. We were seven experts there, but when they ate that one particular brownie one of them asked me: “Signe, you have read and written about this, can you tell me what is the definition of a brownie?”. I stood there, took a bite, and said – it does not have to be like this. I still don't know the definition d do not want to google it up in a hurry, but I believe that a brownie has to be wet, dense, strong and powerful. Most of all – not dry. It has to deliver the feeling that you eat chocolate, and this beauty does that. One of the recipes from my book, but I have adapted it to my taste four years later. 

Ingredients

350 g dark chocolate (70%), chopped
250 g unsalted butter, chopped
4 eggs, lightly whisked
300 g Demerara sugar
120 ml espresso
pinch of sea salt 
60 g plain wheat flour
60 g wholegrain wheat flour
½ vanilla pod seeds
60 g walnuts, broken
60 g praline cream

Prepare

Heat the oven to 180°. Line a 25 x 30 cm baking pan with parchment paper.

In a pot, place the chocolate and butter, and melt, stirring occasionally. Add the eggs and stir immediately. Then add the sugar, coffee, salt, vanilla, and stir. Add both types of flour, walnuts and mix, but don’t over mix. Pour the batter into the pan, sprinkle (if dry) or pour over praline and bake for 25 minutes. When the brownies are done, remove from the oven and cool completely. Put in the fridge for flavor to marry for 24h. And they do taste better when cold. Cut into squares and serve.

Recipe and pictures: Signe Meirane
Camera: Sony Alpha 7s