I woke up late feeling lazy and sad today, contemplating most of my life decisions and thinking how would life be if I had not done things the way I have done them. Thinking if I am doing enough, stressing over my career, personal life and weight issues, reconsidering ever aspect of my life. A feeling of self doubt and confusion. I think a lot of us go through days like this when getting up from the bed seems like a challenge. With the will power of the size of an ant and a lot of effort, you somehow manage to drag yourself out of the bed. There are days when you jump out of the bed at 7 am and walk 10,000 steps and then there are days when you refuse to get out of your pajamas and make brownies for lunch instead. Well, today was brownie for lunch kinda day.
Chocolate acts as an anti-depressant and on days when I feel low I either resort to making brownies or nibble on a huge dark chocolate bar, helps me feel better and get through my mood swings. Brownies act as therapists, trust me! Fudgey or cakey, with nuts or without nuts, they are my best friend and I have a recipe for every mood. This brownie is the world's best brownie as it is very easy to make, absolutely delicious, fudgey and made with a few ingredients only. Use the best quality cocoa powder for this recipe to get best results.
This brownie is almost like the brownies you buy from stores like Theobroma, actually the recipe is inspired from Theobroma's brownies. It was shared by a friend from Goa who sent it to me long time ago, almost 3 months back but I never actually gave it a try. Better late than never! I tried the recipe today and the brownies turned out absolutely gorgeous and delicious. This recipe does not call for melting of butter, the butter is creamed together with sugar till light and fluffy to which whisked eggs are added in parts followed by dry ingredients. You should always remember to use ingredients at room temperature while baking, not only for this brownie but for baking everything else as well.
I baked this brownie for 20 minutes at 160 degrees. The baking time differs from oven to oven, it might take more time in your oven. Keep an eye on your brownie while baking, set the time at 20 minutes. After 20 minutes do the toothpick insert test, the toothpick will come out with some batter on it and not clean, it does not mean the batter is uncooked. Do not over bake the brownies or it will turn cakey and crumbly.
Like I said, these brownies are great for gloomy days and can be cherished along with a cup of coffee. Chocolate and nuts can never fail you. It is a very easy recipe and can be made without much hassle which makes it perfect for beginners or for a weekend kitchen session with your kids, they will love the entire process of learning how to bake and devouring the brownies later on. Beware, the kids might end up licking the batter straight from the mixing bowl like me. It is so delicious I almost always lick the bowl clean after pouring the batter into the baking tin. This recipe calls for a 6 inch square baking tin but you can use round ones too. You can always increase the quantities used to make a bigger batch. Make sure to line your baking tray with a parchment paper/aluminium foil and grease it or grease the tin and coat with flour to prevent the brownies from sticking to the base.
Ingredients :
Salted Butter - 125 gms or 1/2 cup
Castor Sugar - 175 gms or 3/4th cup
All Purpose Flour - 50 gms or 6 tbsp
Cocoa Powder - 30 gms or 2.5 tbsp
Eggs - 2 (large at room temperature)
Walnuts - 50 gms (chopped)
Instant Coffee Powder - 1/2 tsp mixed with 1 tbsp warm water
Vanilla - 1 tsp
Method :
1. Pre-heat oven at 160 degrees. Line a 6 inch square baking tin with aluminium foil or parchment paper.
2. Sieve together the flour and cocoa powder. In a separate bowl get the butter to room temperature and whisk it till light. Add castor sugar and whisk till pale and fluffy or till you see soft peeks.
3. Beat 2 eggs in a separate bowl and whisk till frothy. Add it to the buttercream in 2 parts and whisk till well incorporated. Add the espresso and mix.
4. Add the dry mix and half of the chopped walnuts. Mix until you do not see any flour streaks. Do not over mix.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and top it with the remaining walnuts. Bake for 20 mins at 160 degrees, baking time will differ from oven to oven. Make sure not to over bake or the brownie will turn crumbly. Serve warm.
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