Monty's Chocolate Brownies

So the sun has started to shine again, the daffies are up and the tulips are peeping through the ground - Spring is finally creeping in! One of my favourite times of the year is when the smell of freshly cut grass hits you for the first time in the year and at the weekend this was bliss!

I am back into baking again - after spending every weekend since Christmas helping my hubby up on the roof I finally have some time to get back into the kitchen. Monty Don's Rich Brownies were a real treat for him in the sunshine! I got his recipe book for Christmas and there are some really nice traditional home comfort meals.

Here is the recipe:

RICH BROWNIES

• 150g (5½oz) hazelnuts or walnuts
• 250g (9oz) dark chocolate, at least
• 6 eggs
• 70% cocoa solids
• 250g (9oz) unsalted butter, plus a little more for greasing
• 375g (13oz) caster sugar
• 1tsp vanilla extract 
• 150g (5½oz) plain flour, sifted 

If you are using hazelnuts you will need to toast them first. Place them on a tray in an oven preheated to 180C/gas 4 for about 7 minutes for blanched hazelnuts, 10 minutes for unblanched ones.
Keep an eye on them as they burn easily, and give them a shake halfway through so they toast evenly. With unblanched ones, wrap them in a clean tea towel when you take them out of the oven, leave for a minute then rub them quite vigorously to remove the papery skins.

Chop up the toasted hazelnuts or walnuts. Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4. Butter a baking tin, approximately 20cm x 20cm x 4cm (8in x 8in x 1½in) and line the bottom and sides with lightly buttered baking parchment.
Break the chocolate up into small pieces and put them into a heatproof bowl with the butter. Place the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water) and melt the chocolate, stirring until smooth. Cool for a few minutes.

Beat the eggs and sugar with the vanilla extract in a bowl until light and fluffy. Stir in the cooled chocolate and butter, then gently fold in the flour.
Cover the base of the tin with the nuts and pour over the brownie mixture.
ake for 20-25 minutes  -  a toothpick or skewer inserted into the middle of the brownie should come out with a few crumbs clinging to it. Cool on a wire rack in the tin before cutting into squares.

My suggestion for serving is warm with cream or icecream! Yummy!