Recipe for Chocolate Brownies
7 oz (200g) whole almonds with skins left on 10½ oz (300g) Lesme, Callebaut or Valrhona chocolate 7 oz (200g) unsalted butter 12 oz (340g) castor sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 8 eggs, free-range preferably
Preheat the oven 180C/350F/ regulo 4 Line a swiss roll tin 9” x 12” (22½ cm x 30 cm) with bakewell paper leaving a rim around the circumference at least 2” high. Staple the sides so that they don’t fall over!
Place the whole almonds on a baking sheet and roast in a moderate oven for approx 10 minutes.
Allow to cool and coarsely chop or whizz in a food processor for a few seconds.
Melt the chocolate and the unsalted butter in a pyrex bowl over a pan of simmering water.
Separate the eggs and mix the egg yolks with the castor sugar until pale, thick and creamy.
Add the vanilla extract. Gently stir in the melted chocolate and butter.
Now, fold in the roasted chopped almonds.
In a large pyrex or stainless steel bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form, being careful not to overwhip. Fold the stiffly beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture using a large spatula and pour into the prepared swiss roll tin.
Bake in a moderate oven for 25 minutes until firm to touch on the outside but still slightly soft in the middle. Allow to cool in the tin before cutting into 18 fingers.
