Pecan Brownies (low bake)

Baked to only have a 2-3cm height, these brownies overbake quickly, but also make the perfect base for pastries, like the blackberry brownie slices prove. These brownies use bitter chocolate, which creates a less sweet result.

Ingredients:

  • 100gr soft butter
  • 100gr bitter chocolate, 80% or more
  • 2 medium eggs
  • 80gr sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 60gr flour
  • pinch of salt
  • 80gr pecans, halved

Makes a 20x20cm brownie base.

Recipe:

Line a 20cm square baking tin with parchment paper, all the way to the top.

Melt the butter and chocolate together. You can do this au bain marie, but I always just toss it in the microwave and stir every minute until the chocolate has melted.
While the chocolate cools, weigh your other items. If you won’t allow the chocolate to cool, the eggs will become scrambled eggs once you add the chocolate.

Cream together the eggs, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.
Combine the flour, salt and nuts.
Mix the chocolate-butter mixture in with the fluffy egg-mixture until combined well, then mix in the flour and nuts. Spread the batter out in the deep baking tin.

Bake for 13-15 minutes on 180°C.
Test the brownies, they should not be liquid, but the inside should be gooey and stick to the wooden skewer you stick in. When you think they need a minute or two more, don’t put them back as you are likely to overbake them. You want the center to remain moist, so remember that they do somewhat continue to cook when you remove them from the oven.