Brownies Squared - Part II

“10,000 Blistering Barnacles!” The first bite of these brownies releases oceans of velvety Valrhona chocolate, followed by the crunch of toasted macademia nuts, ending with the creaminess of Strauss Family Butter.

While the photo may be blurry, the bowl holds vivid memories of countless hours spent reading Tin Tin books with my daughter. We bought this bowl on our first trip to the Tin Tin Store in San Francisco, probably around 2004.

This recipe* is perfect for a crumble over Strawberry Coconut Ice Cream (recipe posted July, 2014). My daughter may be too old for the bowl, but the kid in me loved this delicious trip down memory lane.



Tin Tin’s Brownies & Cream


Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
3/4 cup macademia nuts, chopped

8 oz. Strauss Family unsalted butter
2 oz. Valhrona chocolate
1 oz. Ghiradelli 60% chocolate

3/4 cup organic coconut sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup "Cup 4 Cup" gluten-free flour
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line an 8” x 8” metal baking pan with foil covering the bottom and sides. Brush bottom and sides with melted butter or spray with nonstick spray.

1. Lightly toast the chopped macademia nuts on one baking sheet and the coconut flakes on another baking sheet in the heated oven for about 10 minutes. Set aside.

2. Put 2 inches of water in a saucepan, and place a wider metal bowl on top to make a double boiler. When the water boils, melt the chocolate and butter in the metal bowl, stirring constantly until it is smooth.

3. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla together until the mixture turns a light yellow and the batter dribbles back in the bowl in thick, luxurious ribbons.

4. Gently fold this mixture into the slightly cooled chocolate. Fold in the nuts, flour, and salt. Mix thoroughly and pour into prepared baking pan.

5. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit in the bottom of a heavy duty baking pan (if you have one). Wet the paper and shake dry. Place on the baking sheet and put the brownie pan on top. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the brownies are just about set in the center. It is very easy to burn the bottom, so keep a watchful eye at the end of the baking time.

6. Remove the brownies from the oven and place on a wire rack. Sprinkle the toasted coconut flakes on top. When the brownies have cooled, remove the foil liner, and cut the brownies into squares.

Makes 16 brownies.

#paleo #brownies #chocolate #valrhona #ghiradelli #dessert #tintin 

*Recipe adapted from David Lebovitz’s The Great Book of Chocolate.