I usually bake some special treats for family and friends for Easter. Also, a lot of the Easter candy around this time of year makes good decorations for the various cakes and cookies. My family also treated me to a couple new cake pans at Christmas which I'm anxious to use . . . as soon as Lent is over!
One of the favorite cookies on a plate always seems to be brownies. While I have several recipes, I'm sharing one that is usually popular. For me, the combination of chocoate, orange, and hazel nut is hard to resist.
Mocha Hazelnut Orange Brownies
Eight ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 cup butter (two sticks)
5 eggs
3 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla
2 tablespoons coffee crystals
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
Melt chocolate and butter in microwave. Stir in coffee crystals. Cool slightly. In another bowl, beat all, sugar and vanilla on high speed for five to eight minutes. Blend in melted chocolate mixture on low speed. All flour, beating just to blend. Stir in nuts.
Spread mixture in greased 13 x 9-inch jelly roll pan or in two 8 x 8-inch cake pans. Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 25 to 35 minutes. Do not overbake.
Frosting
½ cup butter (one stick)
1 pound powdered sugar
3 heaping tablespoons Nutella spread.
Juice of one orange
Grated rind of one orange
Beat the butter and Nutella with an electric mixer until fluffy. Gradually add the powdered sugar until well incorporated. Add grated orange rind and enough juice to make the frosting spreadable but not runny.
When the brownies are completely cooled in the pan, generously frost. To make them easier to cut, refrigerate until frosting is set.
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