Two-Layer Fudgy Hazelnut & Shortbread Brownies

Recipe:

Ingredient Notes

• Flour: Since this recipe uses a shortbread dough, you’ll want to use a lower-protein flour. Regular all-purpose flour with around 10% protein works well. Cake flour, with its 8-9% protein content, is even better. Using a stronger bread flour will result in a tougher dough.
• Butter: For this recipe, it’s best to use butter with a fat content of 80% or higher. This will result in a crispier dough than using butter with a lower fat content.
• Sugar: For the shortbread dough, it’s best to use fine-grain white granulated sugar. Its smaller crystals dissolve more easily and quickly in the dough. For the chocolate layer, the type of sugar is less critical.
• Eggs: Use medium-sized eggs, about 55g each by weight. For the best chocolate batter consistency, ensure your eggs are at room temperature.
• Nuts: I use hazelnuts in this recipe, but other nuts like walnuts, pecans, cashews, or pistachios would also work well. Almonds can be a bit tough, but that’s a matter of personal preference.
• Cocoa powder: I use alkalized (Dutch-processed) cocoa powder, but plain natural cocoa powder will also work. The difference is that natural cocoa will give a less intense color than alkalized. Instant cocoa drinks like Nesquik are not suitable for this recipe.
• Chocolate: Traditionally, bittersweet chocolate is optimal for brownies. Semisweet chocolate is also a good option, but keep in mind that it will result in a sweeter brownie.

Let’s start cooking.

Prepare the shortbread dough. Place the flour, sugar, salt and cold butter in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until coarse crumbs form.

If you are going to use your hands, grate the butter on a coarse grater first – it will be easier and faster to rub.

Grease a baking pan with vegetable oil and line with parchment paper. Place the crumbs in the pan and tamp down.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (355°F) until golden, about 10 minutes.

Mix the condensed milk with the cocoa powder, vanilla sugar, flour, baking powder and beaten egg.

Chop the chocolate and chop the nuts. Add to chocolate mixture.

Stir until the nuts and chocolate are evenly distributed.

Pour this mixture over the baked shortcrust and return to the oven for another 20 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and let the brownies cool in the pan. Remove from the pan and cut into rectangular pieces with a sharp knife.

Enjoy!

This Two-Layer Fudgy Hazelnut & Shortbread Brownies recipe was checked, prepared and approved by Chef Tatyana Nazaruk - author of FlavorIt.com.
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