Pistachio brownies

You can’t go wrong with chocolate!  You can make this the day before or in the morning.  Serve cold or give it a quick 30 second blast in the microwave to warm it through just before you eat. 

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Makes: 12 squares

Ingredients

300g good quality dark chocolate with a minimum of 70% cocoa solids
180g unsalted butter
180g unrefined caster sugar
4 Freedom Food labeled medium eggs plus 1 egg yolk
115g ground almonds
pinch of salt
115g plain flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder, sifted
100g unsalted pistachio nuts, shelled and chopped
Vanilla ice-cream for serving

Method

Preheat the oven to 190C/ fan oven 170C, Gas Mark 5

Grease a 24cm square tin with a little butter.  Cut a piece of greasproof paper the same size as the bottom of the tin.  Place the paper in the bottom of the tin and this will help you get the brownie out. 

Place the chocolate and butter in a large bowl set oven a pan of simmering water.  Heat gently.  Don’t let the water boil rapidly and touch the bottom of the bowl. Heat and stir until the chocolate and butter are melted.

Remove from the heat and add the sugar. Stir until well combined. Leave to cool for 5 minutes. Add the eggs and egg yolk one by one, beating well after each egg. You should have a dark glossy mixture. Add the ground almonds, salt and the flour and baking powder and using a metal tablespoon fold in gently, in a figure of eight movement. Do not over mix.  Finally fold in the pistachio nuts.

Pour the mix into the tin and bake for 20-25 minutes.  It should be set, but with still a little ‘gooeiness’ in the middle. A good way of testing is to push a skewer into the middle.  When you take it out it should be fairly clean but with a few moist crumbs sticking to it.

Leave in the tin to cool, then cut into squares and serve on its own or, if its for pudding, have some crème fraiche or double cream on the side.