I have to admit, it seems like a bit of an oversight that I had yet to share a brownie recipe on this blog before today. It’s frankly unacceptable. A well-made brownie is unequivocally one of the best things you can put in your mouth, besides, I would say, a well-made chocolate chip cookie or homemade ice cream. But too many times, the brownies the world offers me simply do not cut it – they are either too cake-y and dry, or the right dense texture but without a complex enough flavor. Given this dim brownie backdrop, you better believe I was curious but not particularly optimistic when I found this interesting recipe for brownies with dates and almonds in one of my all-time favorite Lebanese cookbooks, of all places. I consider myself a dessert purist, and this seemed a little blasphemous. But I decided to take one for the team (i.e. you) and give it a shot.
The thing about brownies is this: they’re so simple that you really can’t take shortcuts. That means, use the good chocolate. Not the Bakers bars. Splurge on the Ghiardelli or Scharffen – it’s the primary flavor of the recipe, and you want it to be as complex and deep as possible. I used a mix of 60% and 70% bittersweet/extra bittersweet chocolate, which I liked. It also means, always slightly underbake. I might just be very in the food zone right now, but I can’t think of very many things more disappointing than a crumbly, overcooked brownie.
With these two rules of thumb down, you’re well-positioned to make an outstanding brownie that will be fit to serve to anyone that matters. I served mine to clients, in fact. You’ll also be in a good place to expand your brownie horizon with some creative initiatives, such as mixing fun additions in. Nuts are an obvious one (walnuts, or in this case, toasted almonds). Dates were new to me this time around, but they are a great idea for brownies because while they do add just a little bit of date flavor (which is not a bad thing), their real contribution is texture. They take your fudgy brownies, add some extra chew and keep the brownies moist while they bake! No crumbling. It’s ingenious.
The blog is about to take a sharp turn into autumn – soups and pies and cassoulets, oh my! – but I wanted to get this creative riff on a classic out to you ASAP so it’s there when, two months from now, you can’t look at another pumpkin or cranberry without disgust. When that time comes, and we all know it will – you’ll peek into your pantry and be able to treat yourself to the fudgiest, most indulgent brownies in a flash.
Ingredients
- 11 oz./300g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
- 2 3/4 sticks (11 oz./300g) unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups (11 oz./300g) superfine (caster) or granulated sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/3 cups (6 oz./175g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Generous 1 cup (7 oz./200g) chopped dried dates
- Scant 1 cup (3 1/2 oz./100g) blanched almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line an 8 inch/10cm square cake pan with wax or parchment paper. Melt the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, then stir well. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
- Beat the sugar and eggs with an electric mixer until light and creamy. Gradually fold in the chocolate mixture and add the vanilla extract. Sift in the flour and baking powder. Fold all the ingredients together, then add the dates and almonds. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 40 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack, cut into squares and serve.
Notes
From The Lebanese Kitchen
