Chocolate Brownies with Walnuts Recipe
Brownies are low, very chocolatey cakes that stay slightly moist and dense in the middle. In the US they’re often cut into squares and taken to school bake sales, picnics, or to work as “something sweet with coffee.” Compared to a Polish babka, they’re much more intense in flavor and don’t need any creams or frostings.
These brownies are the essence of an American dessert: low, dense, intensely chocolatey, with a moist center that’s closer to fudge than to a classic cake. The addition of walnuts cuts through the sweetness and gives a pleasant contrast of textures: smooth, thick batter with crunchy pieces inside. It’s a bake that comes together quickly yet tastes like something from a café on a busy New York street.
Dlaczego ta wersja działa
- Duża ilość czekolady i masła daje ciężki, wilgotny środek zamiast suchego, „kakaowego” ciasta.
- Krótko mieszane ciasto po dodaniu mąki nie napowietrza się, więc brownie pozostaje niskie i fudgy.
- Wyraźne wskazówki co do patyczka i sprężystości środka pomagają nie przepiec deseru.
- Grubo siekane orzechy dodają chrupkości i przełamują słodycz bez przytłaczania smaku czekolady.
Chef's tips
The key to perfect brownies is not overbaking them—take them out of the oven when the center still gives slightly under gentle pressure and a skewer comes out with moist crumbs, not completely dry. Mix the batter only until the ingredients are combined; don’t beat it for too long, because too much air will turn your dense brownies into an ordinary cake. It’s worth lightly toasting the nuts in a dry pan before adding them—their flavor will be more intense.
How to serve
These brownies are delicious on their own, but if you want to turn them into an impressive dessert for a dinner with friends, serve them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of salted caramel. For a picnic, I cut them into small squares, wrap them in parchment and pack them into a box—perfect one-bite treats to go with coffee from a thermos. For everyday coffee at home, a light dusting of cocoa or powdered sugar is all they need.
Na co uważać
- Nie dodawaj jajek do zbyt gorącej masy czekoladowej – mogą się ściąć i powstaną grudki jak jajecznica.
- Nie piecz brownie, aż patyczek będzie całkiem suchy; wtedy ciasto będzie kruche, bardziej jak murzynek.
- Nie mieszaj długo po dodaniu mąki – rozwinięty gluten sprawi, że brownie stwardnieje.
- Nie kroj gorącego brownie; miękki środek będzie się mazać i kawałki stracą ładny kształt.
Zamienniki
- Część gorzkiej czekolady możesz zastąpić mleczną, ale wtedy zmniejsz cukier o 20–30 g.
- Orzechy włoskie podmień na pekany, laskowe lub migdały, zachowując chrupkość.
- Ekstrakt waniliowy możesz zastąpić łyżką likieru kawowego lub rumu dla innego aromatu.
Ingredients
- dark chocolate min. 60% cocoa - 200 g
- butter - 150 g
- sugar - 200 g
- egg at room temperature - 3 piece
- wheat flour about 2/3 cup - 100 g
- cocoa powder real, unsweetened - 2 tablespoons
- salt - 0.25 teaspoons
- walnuts roughly chopped - 80 g
- vanilla extract - 1 teaspoon
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (top and bottom heat). Line a rectangular baking tin about 20×25 cm with baking paper.
- Chop the chocolate and butter, place them in a bowl and melt together in a water bath or in the microwave, stirring every now and then until smooth. Set aside for a few minutes to cool slightly.
- Add the sugar to the slightly warm chocolate mixture and whisk to combine.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition until the batter is smooth and glossy.
- Add the flour, cocoa, salt and vanilla, and mix only until just combined; do not overmix.
- Add the chopped walnuts and gently fold them in with a spoon.
- Pour the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top.
- Bake for about 20–25 minutes. The top should be set, but when you gently press the center with a finger it should still feel soft. A skewer inserted into the center may come out with a few moist crumbs, but not with liquid batter.
- Remove the tin from the oven and leave the brownies to cool completely in the tin; they will be easier to cut.
- Cut into squares with a sharp knife. Serve plain or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Storage
Brownie przechowuj szczelnie zawinięte w temperaturze pokojowej do 3 dni lub w lodówce do 5 dni; w lodówce środek staje się bardziej zwarty i chłodny. Krótkie podgrzanie w mikrofalówce przywróci mu miękkość i lekko ciągnący środek.
This is my number one recipe when someone calls and says: “We’ll be there in an hour, do you have something sweet?” I sometimes bake these brownies in the evening, cut them in the morning and pack a few pieces into my backpack as an emergency snack for a long train journey.
