DOUBLE CHOCOLATE DATE BROWNIES

Been browing through the net for a recipe to use up some dates which are given to me by my brother in law. In return I am supposed to pass him some of the baked stuff.

Got this recipe from www.dailymail.co.uk..looks good because I have a lot of dates in my freezer....thanks to dailymail for recipe and to him for the dates.

Makes 9 large brownies

100g • 3½ oz medjool dates pitted and halved lengthways  ( I used 25 gm medjool and balance normal dates)

100g • 3½ oz dark chocolate about 70 per cent cocoa ( I used 400 gm collata dark chocolate)

300g • 11oz dark chocolate about 50 per cent cocoa

180g • 6¼ oz lightly salted butter diced

150g • 5oz light muscovado sugar ( I used brown sugar)

 4 medium eggs plus 1 medium egg yolk

115g • 4¼ oz ground almonds

100g • 3½ oz plain flour

1 tbsp cocoa

1 rounded tsp baking powder

3 tbsp cooled strong black coffee

icing sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 3. Have ready a nonstick square brownie tin about 23cm x 4cm (9in x 1½ in) or equivalent. If your tin is not nonstick, butter and flour it. 

Slice the halved dates across. Roughly chop the 70 per cent chocolate. Set these aside separately.

Break the 50 per cent chocolate into pieces and melt it with the butter in a mixing bowl set over a pan containing a little simmering water. Remove from the heat, add the sugar and whisk until smooth and combined. 

Add the eggs and egg yolk to the chocolate mixture – one by one and beating after each addition, continuing to beat at the end until the mixture is very glossy and amalgamated. 

Gently fold in the ground almonds, then sift over the flour, cocoa and baking powder and fold in without over mixing. Stir in the coffee and fold in two thirds of the chopped chocolate, and the dates, separating out the pieces. 

Pour the mixture evenly into the tin and scatter the rest of the chopped chocolate over the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the outside is risen and slightly cracked – a skewer inserted into this section should come out with just a few gooey crumbs, and likewise in the centre. Run a knife around the edge of the tin, and leave to cool, then chill for several hours or overnight. 

Lightly dust with icing sugar and slice into 9 squares, or about 25 mini brownies if you prefer.