Autumn has descended on the Cape and the evenings have a decided chill about them. With a bonus sport weekend lined up – I’m already in front of the telly waiting for the first ball to be bowled in the SA vs NZ match. The Stormers take on the Western Force at Newlands tomorrow at 3pm, so who has time to spend in the kitchen?
However, the show must go on and meals need to be prepared. So Chef Megan has this tasty chocolate brownie dessert for you to whip up and enjoy – as a main dessert or tea-time treat:
Chocolate Brownies
Ingredients
140g butter, plus extra for greasingÂ
4 large eggsÂ
350g castor sugarÂ
140g cake flour
75g cocoa powder
100g macadamia or pecan nut halves
100g white chocolate, roughly choppedÂ
Method
1. Preheat oven to 170°C. Completely line a 23cm square cake tin with greaseproof paper and butter generously.
2. Very gently melt the butter in a saucepan and leave to cool. Using a wooden spoon, beat the eggs with the sugar in a large bowl until creamy and smooth, then stir in the cooled butter.
3. Stir the flour and cocoa powder into a large bowl. Gradually stir in the egg mixture until smooth, then fold in nuts and the white chocolate pieces. -tlm,ns.
4. Pour into the prepared cake tin and bake fo@-35 minutes until risen with a slightly crusty top. Be careful not to overcook the mixture – it should be gooey in the middle.
5. Cool in the tin for a few minutes, then lift the cake out in the greaseproof paper and place on a wire rack to cool. When completely cold, remove the greaseproof paper and cut into 16 squares.
6. For a really delicious desert, serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and pour over hot chocolate sauce.
This dessert will pair well with a vintage Cape Port like the Allesverloren Cape Vintage 2007 or De Krans Cape Tawny. The rich, fruity, nutty character of both wines will enhance the chocolatey, gooey nuttiness that makes brownies moreish!