Biker Brownies

You won’t be able to resist these brownies. When we first wrote the recipe we made the chocolate hazelnut spread and the liqueur optional but I have to say – it really is worthwhile adding them. Makes these extra specially fudgy and amazing. Nice with a cup of tea or try them warm for pudding with a good dollop of vanilla ice cream.

Sliced triangles of Biker Brownies with hazelnuts are scattered on a light surface, showing their rich, fudgy texture and nut pieces throughout. Crumbs are visible around the brownies, inspired by a Hairy Bikers recipe.

Biker Brownies

Info

Serves
Makes 12

Ingredients

  • 100g plain flour
  • 50g cocoa powder
  • ¾ tsp baking powder
  • pinch of salt
  • 300g dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids)
  • 250g butter
  • 250g granulated sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 100g hazelnuts, roughly chopped
  • 100g chocolate hazelnut spread (optional)
  • 50ml hazelnut liqueur (optional)

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 170°C/Fan 150°C/Gas 3½. Line a 30 x 20cm straight-sided brownie tin with foil or non-stick baking paper.

  2. Sift the flour, cocoa and baking powder together in a bowl and add a generous pinch of salt. Break 250g of the chocolate into a heatproof bowl and place the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Leave the chocolate to melt, stirring regularly.

  3. When the chocolate has melted, remove the bowl and leave the chocolate to cool slightly. Roughly chop the remaining chocolate and set it aside.

  4. Beat the butter and sugar together in a bowl until very light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, then pour in the melted chocolate. Mix thoroughly, then add a third of the flour mixture. Stir to combine, then repeat with the other two-thirds of flour. Add half the hazelnuts and all the reserved chopped chocolate and stir to combine. Scrape the mixture into the tin.

  5. If using the chocolate spread and hazelnut liqueur, mix them together to make a smooth paste. Make little wells in the brownie batter and add spoonfuls of the mixture.

  6. Sprinkle the remaining hazelnuts on top and press them down lightly into the mixture. Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, testing the brownies after 25 minutes. When they are ready, a wooden skewer should come out with a few crumbs attached – it shouldn’t be wet, but it shouldn’t be completely clean either.

  7. Leave the brownies to cool in the tin. If you can bear to wait, put the tin in the fridge overnight to rest the brownies before cutting them – it will help them settle into a consistency that isn’t too cake-like. Cut into triangles or squares and store them in an airtight tin.