walnut and white chocolate brownies

Lots of baking in the simmer & boyle kitchen this month; a couple of morning teas for the Cancer Council, some catering, and loads of recipe testing. If you'd like to join JJ and me for our virtual biggest morning tea, or drop some coins in our virtual Cancer Council jar, check this post for instructions :)

I'm still on that pear bender and they're completely dominating my insta feed #sorrynotsorry! Loving walnuts too and putting them in almost everything.  I may have eaten a poached pear with walnut sablé cookies and mascarpone this morning, dessert for breakfast on a Sunday is totally a thing...

There's still at least a kilo of walnuts in my fridge so I toasted some and threw them into my favourite brownie recipe with some white chocolate; the family are split on the addition of white chocolate, but it has such an alliterative ring :) This is a really reliable brownie recipe, take out the walnuts and white chocolate if they're not your thing, add the same volume of whatever takes your fancy; hazelnuts and milk chocolate, chopped dates with the zest of an orange and maybe some cointreau, pecans and a shot of instant coffee... I like my brownies fudgey so intentionally undercook them, half an hour generally just about does it, 35 to 40 minutes if you prefer them cakey.

walnut and white chocolate brownies

180g butter
180g dark chocolate
3 eggs
275g caster sugar
110g plain flour
30g cocoa powder
125g white chocolate, roughly chopped
125g toasted walnut halves, keep 6 or so whole, roughly chop the rest
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• preheat your oven to 175ºC
• line the base of a 23cm square cake tin with baking paper, lightly grease the sides
• put the butter and dark chocolate in a pan over a low heat and stir until melted and smooth, set aside to cool
• sift together the flour and cocoa and set aside
• in the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a large bowl and electric hand whisk) whisk together the eggs, sugar  and vanilla until really thick, creamy and pale, then fold through the melted chocolate and butter
• gently fold through the flour and cocoa, then stir through the white chocolate and chopped walnuts 
• pour the batter into the prepared cake tin, lightly press the remaining walnut halves into the brownie batter, then bake in the centre of your oven for 30 mins if you like your brownies fudgy, 40 mins if you prefer them firmer.
• leave brownies to cool completely, then slice into squares; if you've opted for fudgier brownies I'd refrigerate them for an hour or so before slicing.
• brownies should keep in an airtight container for about a week; if they start to dry out, pop them in the microwave for about 20s and serve them with ice-cream or cream

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a gratuitous pear shot from one of those morning teas, just because...