3 INGREDIENT BROWNIES

Tempted by sin to indulge in a chocolate fix, I woke up at the dead of night and feeling somewhat restless, I grabbed a small jar of Hazelnut chocolate spread, some flour, a bit of sugar and vanilla, two cute eggs, and a bowl and whisk. There and then I decided to whip up a batch of super easy, no fuss, 3 ingredient brownies. 

Yes, I said it. 3 Ingredient brownies. 

It makes me so happy making and nibbling these because they took so little effort and yet produced a whammy of a result. They were deeply fudgey, not overly chocolatey with a hazelnut twist, and so, so good. 

3 INGREDIENT BROWNIES

• 1 1/2 cups of Nutella (or any other chocolate hazelnut spread)
• 1 cup flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup icing sugar

1. Mix nutella, vanilla and eggs (one at a time) with electric beater or whisk vigorously by hand with a whisk.

2. Whisk in vanilla and sugar, then flour.

3. Pour into a lined baking pan and bake at 200 degrees c for 20 minutes, or longer if needed until the interior is cooked.

 

So, so divine. Underbaking it slightly makes it extra indulgent, with a more fudgey interior. 

Chocolate-almond Friands

These are my mother’s favorite: Chocolate almond Friands.

My first ever baking attempt was baking a batch of friands for my mother’s birthday. I loved making them so much that I kept baking the same recipe again and again in hope to perfect it. Thankfully, progress was evident as the friands became better and better with every new attempt.

I find that if you use really, really good quality chocolate, the flavour transforms incredibly. Also, by buttering the tins, you get a nice crunchy, buttery exterior that my mother loves.

1 cup almond meal
1 cup icing sugar, sifted
1/2 cup plain flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon baking powder, sifted
6 eggwhites
140g butter, melted
200g dark chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped almonds

1. Preheat oven to 180C.

2. Place the almond meal, icing sugar, flour, baking powder, eggwhites, butter and chocolate in a bowl and whisk until combined.

3. Spoon the mixture into 12 x 1/2-cup capacity lightly greased oval-shaped or muffin tins and sprinkle with the hazelnut.

4. Bake for 20–25 minutes or until golden and cooked through.

5. Using a palette knife, loosen the edges and remove the friands from the tins immediately. Allow to cool on a wire rack before serving

Cocoa-nana Bread

I made this incredible ‘bread’ upon my brother’s request. You see, I made a deal with him. If he gave me money, I will bake him whatever you wanted.

“Hmmm…” He thought deeply, “Banana cake!”

Typical, I thought.

So I flicked through Dorie Greenspan’s “Baking: From my home to Yours” and came across this fantastic recipe. Well and truly, it is a killer! Moist, chocolatey, gorgeous, and delectable. Try it guys! (Also it does not require a mass amount of bananas like most banana bread recipes!)

COCOA-NANA BREAD

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 ripe bananas, mashed
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped, or 1/2 cup store-bought chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Butter a 9×5-inch loaf pan; place on an insulated baking sheet or on two regular baking sheets stacked one on top of the other. (This extra insulation will keep the bottom of the bread from overbaking.)
3. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and baking soda.
4. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter at medium speed for about a minute, until softened.
5. Add the sugars and beat for 2 minutes more. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for a minute after each addition.
6. At this point, the batter may look a little curdled — it’s okay. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the mashed bananas.
7. Add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, mixing only until they disappear into the batter. Still on low speed, add the buttermilk, mixing until it is incorporated. Stir in the chopped chocolate. Scrape the batter into the pan.
8. Bake for 30 minutes. Cover the bread loosely with a foil tent to keep the top from getting too dark, and continue to bake for another 40-45 minutes (total baking time is between 70-75 minutes), or until a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean. (If you use mini-loaf pans, plan on four pans. The mini-loaves will bake faster than the larger loaf, so check them first at 25 minutes and expect them to bake for 40-45 minutes, depending on your oven.)
9. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for at least 20 minutes before running a knife around the edges of the bread and unmolding it. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up.