Some people prefer cake-like brownies but the majority of people in North America favor fudge-like brownies. Moist and gooey with a deep and well balanced chocolate flavor. Due to the richness this is not the type of brownie you desire as a large piece. I suggest you keep these under refrigeration since at room temperature they will get rather soft. If you desire to make a version which is less moist or fudgy add some flour and or cocoa powder. A less fudgy brownie works very well when heated in a microwave and served with gelato. Non alkalized cocoa is preferred here since the recipe contains baking soda which will naturally alkalize the cocoa powder and provide a very good chocolate flavor. In terms of chocolate, I use a chocolate of 45% cocoa mass in these brownies. You could use a chocolate with a higher amount of cocoa mass but keep in mind that brownies need sugar to obtain a fudge-like consistency. Consequently a brownie made with higher cocoa mass levels will be less fudge-like.
Nuts are delicious in brownies and many types work very well. In this particular brownie I used pre-toasted hazelnuts and candied orange peel. A personal favorite, however choose a combination which is appealing and makes financial sense in your part of the world.
Brownies with Hazelnuts and Candied Orange Peel
Yield: 16x 12 inch (40x 30 cm) pan.
| 12 oz | butter | 360 g | |
| 1 lb 5 oz | Chocolate (45-48% cocoa mass) | 630 g | |
| 4 oz | Invert sugar | 120 g | |
| 14 oz | Eggs | 420 g | |
| 2 tsp | Vanilla extract | 10 g | |
| 16 oz | Extra fine granulated sugar | 480 g | |
| 1 tsp | salt | 5 g | |
| 12 oz | Pastry flour | 360 g | |
| 2.25 oz | Cocoa powder (Non alkalized preferred) | 68 g | |
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1/2 tsp | Baking soda | 2 g
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- Toast 1 lb (480 g) of hazelnuts and chop 6 oz (180 g) candied orange peel and set aside.
- Melt the butter and chocolate to 110F (43C) and hold at this temperature.
- In a mixing bowl fitted with the whip attachment whip the invert sugar, sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt until well combined. However do not whip to a ribbon!
- Pour in the chocolate and mix until combined.
- Sift together the flour, cocoa powder and baking soda and add to the above, mix on low speed and do not overmix. Add the hazelnuts and candied orange peel.
- Pour onto a parchment lined frame or half size sheet pan (with high edges). Bake at 340F (170C) until the center has set, about 35-40 minutes.
- Once cooled place in a freezer and allow to freeze for several hours.
- Cut around the edges of the brownie sheet to release, turn upside down onto a parchment lined sheet pan. If the brownies do not release, hold the bottom of the pan briefly over a gas flame and turn upside down.
- Cover with ganache if desired and decorate.
These look amazing!!!! And hazelnuts! Perfect!
Where did you find the chocolate with the lower cocoa mass?
Thank you, Chef Eddy! Can’t wait to try!
look delicious ,like always …..
This looks as good as the ones from the purple recipe books.
About how long until the center sets, Eddy?
Steven, about 35-40 minutes.
Chef Eddy,
I really enjoyed reading your article on fudge brownies with pre-toasted hazelnuts and candied orange peel. I had never thought of mixing these ingredients together.
I began wondering what else people added to brownies. In my research I found things from raspberries, bananas, black beans to coffee. The coffee recipe caught my attention because it used instant coffee instead of fresh brewed coffee. The instant coffee added flavor as well as an acid component to the mixture. The amount of coffee added was about 2 tablespoons for a 9 X 13 pan.
Ben Davenport
Those was the best brownies I ever tasted.!!
I really enjoyed making these brownies and my family loved them especially my two year old niece 🙂 Am I able to use any kind of nut and if I can what type of nut would make the best combination with the fudge brownies?
I really enjoyed these brownies, but as you said a big piece would not be desirable. I’m glad you mentioned how to make these a little less fudgy by adding the cocoa powder because I am a BIGGG fan on brownies and ice cream!
I love frudge brownies! Can’t wait to make this at home for everyone. Thank you so much and I really enjoyed your class this Fall and you are wonderful and amazing chef. Also creative and brilliant for making recipes in gerenal and not afraid to make it. Thank you and really appreciate from you.
With recipe, you don’t have to eat the big brownie portion that we usually find in stores. Is just perfect.
Thank you chef eddy it’s a great idea to put more cocoa to make the brownie less fudgy and how we can it less but still get the same flavor and fulfillment we would try to get with the giant ones we find in the store.
Can’t wait to try this… just need to figure out the adjustment of sugar to the chocolate used (% of cocoa mass). I sometimes like a strong & almost bitter chocolatey taste. Thank you for sharing!
mmmmmmm these are mouth watering, these would be delicious with pecans or walnuts as well
Thanks for sharing chef Eddy. My family loves chocolate so much.i am sure I will make some when I tRavel back to Taiwan next time
The option for the less fudgy browny is very good for me, cause I am one who loves to have my warm brownie and ice cream. Heating the fudge ones never work out. But it doesn’t ever stop me from eatingnit anyway. Haha lol!
The fudgy vs. cake like brownies debate is extrnsive, but I had not considered changing the chocolate to make the difference. It makes perfect sense that chocolates with a higher sugar content would be more moist, but I had never thought of it that way. Thanks for sharing!
Chef these brownies are delicious! I have made them twice since class and each time they were awesome! My son say that they are the best he ever tasted! Thanks
Hi Eddy,
Can’t wait to try out your brownies!! You are just 1 awesome chef. I just can’t wait to go to a bookstore to grab all your book(s) !!
I have read loads of pastry chef recipe books and nobody, nobody can compete with you, hahah! As I said before, you are SO SPECIAL, chef! I salute you.
This Fudge browny is very obsessive to anyone who like brownies…
These were delicious! Although in my class we used the cocoa powder to decorate them. I felt that the cocoa powder was way to strong for such a brownie, but it was great. The walnuts also added a great CRUNCH to this chewy dessert!
These were delicious, I need to make them at home. Where can you find Non alkalized cocoa powder? I agree that walnuts in there are the best, thats how I tried them at school, but I really like hazelnuts so I will have to try it with those too, and maybe even pecans. Yum!
Heghan,
Non alkalized cocoa is very easy to find in the United States,
Eddy
Fudge brownies are way way better than cake like brownies, I’ve made a few different kinds at home and most came out looking like chocolate cake so i’m glad to see this recipe.
I made these at home and shared them with my in-laws and EVERYONE loved them!! a few of them even said its the best brownie they’ve ever had. I also enjoyed these very much, but I used pecans instead of walnuts.
Chef,
You have wonderful skills for putting presentations together. Your brownies looks rich and moist, and nothing like what I’ve seen or restaurants or out of a box. The hazelnuts inside the brownies are perfect and the look beautifully inside the brownies.
Chef, I really enjoyed the rich chocolate flavor. Next time I will make this recipe using pecans instead. My husband really liked this recipe as well.
This looks so good. I can’t wait to make these.
I am not a big hazelnut fan nor am I a big fan of walnuts. Would I be able to use pecans instead?
I like coffee , I think brownies can go with the coffee, can I use coffee extract in stead vanilla extract
This is a perfect basic brownie recipe to expand upon I cant wait to experiment with cake like and fudge like brownies and to see if i can come up with a perfect balance.
I love the Fudge Brownies ,but with out the Candied Orange Peel on top