Darkest Dark Chocolate Brownies

It's due to a bit of misfortune that I was able to make these brownies. You see, the lovely Myriam from the equally lovely, Once Upon a Tart who hosts this event came down with the flu and so had to extend the closing date.

The inspiration for this brownie comes from this chocolate from local chocolatier Monsieur Truffe

This is 100% Venezuela and it is not as Paalo thought when he mistakenly took a nibble, just referring to the fact that it is 100% single origin, it is in fact 100% cocoa mass - there are no added sugars or cocoa butter. Yes, it was quite a surprise as he tasted it, though its dark matt form might have given him a clue

So with this rather bitter chocolate in my possession I sort to make the ultimate adult brownie, something devilishly dark and more suited to small bites that will accompany the luscious sweetness of an well aged Tokay or Muscat.

I've adapted a really nice brownie recipe found in Jared Ingersoll's Sharing Plates

Darkest Dark Chocolate Brownies

[Makes about 10-12 brownie cupcakes]

50 grams melted butter

90 grams caster sugar

75 grams Dark Chocolate (I used 70% Lindt)

1 egg

40 grams plain flour

25 grams Dutch process cocoa

90 grams Macadamia nuts, roasted and then quartered (substitute halved roasted Hazelnuts)

100 grams 100% Venezuela Chocolate, broken into squares

Place the butter in a small pot and melt over a low heat, add the sugar and allow this to dissolve, remove from the heat. Add the dark chocolate and stir well - the chocolate should melt in the residual heat. Set this aside to cool slightly.

Sift the cocoa and the plain flour together into a bowl.

Lightly whisk the egg and add to the flour mixture - stir it through before adding the cooled butter mix. Add the chopped Macadamia nuts and squares of Venezuela Chocolate and mix until it is just combined.

It is going to be quite a chunky mix but what I want are large hits of that pure chocolate through the brownie countered by generous pieces of Macadamia.

Scoop out into cupcake cases - you could bake this as one regular rectangular brownie.

Bake in a °170C/340°F oven for about 15-20 minutes - it will depend on the size you make, so do keep an eye on them.

Let the brownies cool completely before removing them from their cases.

Now, for a special treat because Myriam is such a sweetheart, I made this heart of brownie darkness in honour of her