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Posted by

Fizza Nayyer

August 17, 2020

In honour of this very #HappyMonday we thought we’d share a special Middle-Eastern inspired recipe taken from Fire and Spice by John Gregory-Smith! Are you ready to bake some Dark Chocolate, Clove & Cinnamon Brownies?

Dark Chocolate, Clove & Cinnamon Brownies

Makes 16

Ready in 40 minutes, plus resting

Ingredients

250g/9oz unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing

300g/10 and a 1⁄2oz chocolate with 70–80% cocoa, plus extra to serve

125g/4 and a 1⁄2oz/heaped 1⁄2 cup caster (superfine) sugar

125g/4 and a 1⁄2oz/2⁄3 cup light muscovado sugar

3 eggs and 1 egg yolk, beaten

100g/3 and a 1⁄2oz/1 cup pecan nuts, crushed

60g/2 and a 1⁄4oz/1⁄2 cup plain (all-purpose) flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp sea salt

60g/2 and a 1⁄4oz/scant 1⁄2 cup cocoa powder, plus extra to serve

1⁄4 tsp ground cloves

1⁄2 tsp ground cinnamon, plus extra to serve

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 180 ̊C/350 ̊F/Gas 4. Grease the bottom and sides of a 23cm/9in square cake tin, then line with baking parchment.

2 Break the chocolate into pieces and melt in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Once completely melted set aside to cool slightly.

3 Put the butter, caster (superfine) sugar and muscovado sugar into a food processor and blend on a high setting for about 5 minutes, or until they form a smooth paste.

4 Slowly add the eggs, a little at a time, to the butter and sugar mixture and blend on a low setting until everything is incorporated. Give the mixture a final blast on a high setting for 30 seconds, then transfer to a large mixing bowl.

5 Slowly fold in the melted chocolate, then add the nuts and sift in the flour, baking powder, salt, cocoa powder, cloves and cinnamon. Fold everything together using a large metal spoon, then scrape the batter into the prepared cake tin. Smooth the top with a palette knife and bake for 20–30 minutes, or until soft and gooey in the middle and just cracking on the top and sides. To test if the brownie is ready, insert a skewer into the centre pushing right to the bottom. It should come out with a little of the yummy, goey brownie clinging but not totally coating it. If the skewer is completely coated, put the brownie back in the oven and test it again every 3 minutes until cooked.

6 Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 30 minutes in the cake tin. Flip the brownie out of the tin onto a chopping board, peel off the baking parchment and cut into squares. Serve hot, warm or cold with a generous sprinkling of cocoa powder and a sprinkling of cinnamon, to taste.

Happy Baking! And don’t forget to tag @NourishBooks on Instagram!