THE UNCOMMON BROWNIE

Call me a snob, but I believe that bittersweet chocolate is the sophisticated chocolate. I'll eat milk chocolate in a pinch; semi-sweet chocolate is better; white chocolate: never. So when I came across this recipe for walnut brownies that had a touch of the bittersweet, I knew they wouldn't be common. The recipe is from one of my Border bargains, Baking: A Commonsense Guide, published in Australia.

Serving - 24 brownies

2/3 cup self-raising flour

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa poweder

1 cup sugar

11 1/2 oz unsalted butter, melted

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups bittersweet chips

1 cup walnut pieces

Preheat the oven to350 degrees and grease a 9 X 13 inch shallow baking pan. Line with parchment paper, leaving it hanging over the 2 long sides.

Sift together the flour and cocoa powder, then add the sugar. Make a well in the center and add the butter, eggs, and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Fold in the bittersweet chocolate chips and walnut pieces. Spoon into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake for 25 - 30 minutes (until a skewer comes out clean). Leave in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a rack to cool completely.

You'll notice a very different texture to these brownies. I've never before encountered a recipe for them that calls for adding melted butter as opposed to creaming the sugar and butter. They can be dusted with confectioners' sugar or just served plain. I would serve them with a raspberry coulis and a dab of whipped cream and they would make an elegant dessert.