#205 Raspberry and Hazelnut brownies
Good morning, friends, Good Sunday!
I’m in a bit of a pickle because I should be making a christening cake for my best friend’s son as we speak, actually I should have started it two hours ago, but I’ve also left it until now - ‘now’ is Saturday, 12pm - to pop on here and share my weekly musings with you. Both tasks need to be done by tomorrow morning and quite honestly, I’m feeling slightly nauseous at the thought of getting each done in the, (ever waning), minutes left at my disposal. Naturally, I’ve been procrastinating up until now because that’s always a mature reaction to things, isn’t it? Writing to you feels like the priority at this point, but that probably means I’ll be making cake by candlelight this evening. Wish me luck.
I’ve been suffering with PWCD since Sunday, that’s ‘Post World Cup Depression’, btw … it’s chronic, I feel bereft without it on; the house is quiet, my mates (Wayne and Alan and Gabby and Micah etc) have gone, it’s really such a come down, there should be counselling for this. Fortunately, the Commonwealth Games started on Thursday, so I’ve had that on instead, plus it’s Hungary (F1) this weekend, so I am just about coping with the loss (please note slight sense of irony here, it’s not beyond me that this is obviously a very 1st world problem!)
The weather seemed to get the memo that we were all feeling a bit sweaty and pissed off with it, didn’t it? It’s settled into an almost perfect not too hot not too cold sweet spot, where outside and inside feel warm but also fresh enough throughout the day and night. Saying that, grey has also been the status quo which makes everything look a little washed out and the grass, nature in general, has seen better days; it all seems properly exhausted. Even I, a rain-phobe, can agree that we could do with a couple of overnight downpours.
I’ve noticed that the blackberries have been undeterred by the lack of rain and searing temps though, have you seen them? The hedgerows are practically groaning with the weight of their ripening fruits!! Much as I find late summer a daunting time (the autumn/winter pending siren starts to go off in my head and I have to put my fingers firmly in my ears and pretend I can’t hear it), the promise of bursting blackberries, (courgettes too), is sufficiently thrilling to keep me out of hibernation a little while longer…. Jam and crumble, probably cake too, are afoot!
Baking has been more fathomable since things have cooled off a touch as well. I found myself deeply buried in a courgette cake conundrum on Tuesday which is always a good sign; it reminds me how much I love the baking gig and all its quirks. After a few shots at it, I hit on a pretty marvellous cardamom spiced courgette loaf that’s tender and moist and all the good stuff you expect to find in a vegetable-based cake. The cardamom, plus a touch of cinnamon, impart a delicate perfume that makes it not dissimilar to carrot cake, and I topped it with a lime-flecked, whipped cream cheese frosting that pairs perfectly with the cake. It’s on the cards for next week’s newsletter and I’m excited for you to try it (p.s. it gets bonus points for being ideally timed for the onset of courgette season!).
I also ended up down a baguette warren, which has been humbling and intriguing and tasty but also very imperfect (see pics) which is good for one’s brain, I think - perfection doesn’t challenge us, does it? Flaws keep us thinking and adapting and progressing! And my other great triumph of the week was some raspberry and hazelnut brownies; I have shared a few brownie recipes on here over the years, and I stand by them all, particularly this ULTRA-chocolate-y, golden oldie, but the raspberry, hazelnut rendition below is a seriously strong match. Keep scrolling for a dose of that joy!
Right, let’s crack on with some good bits before I MUST go cake…
GOOD BITS
Snugburys Ice cream - it’s brilliant. The farm isn’t far from where I live and I have fond memories of going there with friends as a kid. Shamefully, I didn't realise that you can buy tubs online these days, (Edd Kimber alerted me to this), if you, like me, are an ice cream aficionado, I strongly recommend giving this a try, and if you’re in the area, you must stop by; it’s quaint and gorgeous wonderfully wholesome.
So, I got to the end of the fifth and final instalment of Richard Osman’s ‘Thursday Murder Club’ (The Impossible Fortune), and honestly, I was a bit underwhelmed by it. I mean, I liked some of it and there were bits that made me giggle, but I thought the storyline was a bit weak, and I just didn’t find it as delightful as the other books - I give it 6.5/10.
However, I’m now onto Dan Brown’s ‘Angel’s and Demons’ and I am GRIPPED. I have a feeling I started this before and somehow got sidetracked midway through, this time though I’m devouring it. Strongly recommend!Josh Kerr running a World record in the mile last weekend - did you see it? If not, go and find it on iPlayer! Athletics fan or not, you’ve got to marvel at his approach to breaking this record; Josh and his team clearly approached it with meticulous precision and science and dedication, very impressive stuff!
‘The Dink’ - have you heard about this new sports comedy film on Apple? I won’t attempt to provide a review of it; you can go read about it here if you need some context/convincing. But I will say, I’ve done some preliminary research for you - I started watching it the other night - and I was chuckling and wincing (there’s a dose of cringe about it) and generally really enjoying it, so I would recommend giving it a try if you need something light-hearted to get lost in.
Ice cream vans - is there a more nostalgic sound? No, there is not.
These ‘Sweet and Smoky Marcona Almonds - I’m really only recommending this tentatively because honestly, they are too great. I mean, you will probably eat them all in one sitting which makes them a pricey amuse-bouche.
For a cheaper salty snack - I’m in the market for salty tortillas atm. These precisely! I will be adding them to next week’s shopping basket.
Crikey, it’s 3pm, speed cake-ing needs to happen pronto; must dash. Thank you, as always for your messages, I love to read them - sorry I sometimes don’t get round to replying, just know they are always massively appreciated!
Sending all my love as always,
Steph X X X
Raspberry and Hazelnut brownies
I feel like brownies went out of fashion about 8 years ago but I’m here to remind you that they are still one of baking’s finest creations. In my view, they hit every spot; not too demanding to make, hard to screw up (even if you do by slightly over-baking them or over mixing them, they still taste pretty damn fine) and undeniably medicinal - they are guaranteed to make sad days less sad.
This rendition isn’t especially groundbreaking, it follows typical brownie rules, but it somehow feels really special. The base recipe is loaded with chocolate and a portion of cocoa powder for a strong hit of choccy flavour (imperative for a brownie, right?). Unlike my usual approach to brownie-ing which is the ‘melt, then chuck it altogether’ method, I whisk my eggs and sugar for a few minutes first before folding through the melted chocolate and butter followed by the dry ingredients. This yields a brownie with better structure, a smoother fudgier texture, and creates that gorgeous crackly surface on top - it’s a step worth taking in this case.
The add-ins though are the gamechanger here, most of the roasted hazelnuts are folded through the brownie batter imparting toasty nuttiness throughout as well as a little welcome crunch, the remainder are scattered over the top. I use frozen raspberries for guaranteed juicy tartness, and I only add them once the batter is in the tin, I also squish them between my fingers before prodding them into the chocolatey mulch (great word) - this guarantees puddles of jammy goodness which is heavenly against the rich brownie.
As is always the case with a brownie, it should never be over-baked, 25 minutes is perfect in my oven, and must subsequently be left to cool completely, first at room temperature, then further chilled for a good few hours in the fridge before you dive in. It’s cruel, I know, but you will be rewarded for your patience, I promise.
I’m not sure I have much more to say about the matter other than that you really should already have the oven on and a spatula in hand because making this is very definitely going to improve your day, maybe your life, immeasurably! Happy baking my friends!
