Chapter 01 · Brownies & bars
Fudgy Date Brownies
Ingredients
- 250 g (1⅔ cups) soft pitted dates
- 120 ml (½ cup) hot water
- 3 large eggs
- 120 g (½ cup plus 1 tbsp) butter, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 60 g (½ cup) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 60 g (⅔ cup) ground almonds
- 60 g (½ cup) plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp fine salt
- 80 g (½ cup) dark chocolate (85% cocoa), chopped
Method
- Heat the oven and line the tin with baking paper.
- Soak the dates in the hot water for 10 minutes, then blend dates and water to a thick paste.
- Whisk in the eggs one at a time, then the melted butter and vanilla.
- Sift in the cocoa, flour, baking powder and salt, add the ground almonds and fold until smooth. Fold in the chocolate.
- Scrape into the tin and bake 28–30 minutes until the edges are set and the centre just wobbles. Cool fully before slicing.
Storage: keep airtight at room temperature 5 days; freezes 3 months.
Swap: use ground walnuts instead of almonds, or swap the chocolate for toasted hazelnuts.
Mary's note: If the middle still wobbles when the timer goes, give it two more minutes and walk away — the dates keep it soft, and a fudgy centre is the whole point of a brownie.