RIO GRAND

Bake of the week is dark chocolate Brazil nut brownies.

You’ll need

● 10 Brazil nuts ● 125g dark chocolate (ideally 100% cocoa, or use 85%) ● 100ml almond milk ● 150g coconut oil, plus extra for greasing the tin ● 250ml maple syrup ● Seeds from 1⁄2 vanilla pod or one tablespoon vanilla extract, 50g raw cacao powder sieved, three eggs ● 130g spelt flour ● 1 teaspoon baking powder

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C. Grease a 30cm x 20cm brownie tin and line it with baking parchment. Leave the paper sticking up at the sides to make it easier to lift the brownies out.

2. Roast the Brazil nuts in the oven for 15 minutes, turning once halfway through. Leave them to cool, and then chop them up coarsely.

3. Put the chocolate, almond milk, coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla seeds or extract in a saucepan over a very gentle heat, stirring regularly, until everything has melted and you have a rich, glossy-looking batter.

4. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the cacao powder.

5. Allow the mixture to cool for 10-15 minutes, and then beat in the eggs. Add the flour, baking powder and chopped Brazil nuts.

6. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for about 12 minutes. Insert a cocktail stick and it should come out with a little chocolate residue. If you like your brownies less gooey, put the tin back in the oven for a further 3-5 minutes but take it out before the top starts to crack, otherwise the consistency will be more like cake.

7. Remove the tin from the oven and use the baking paper to help you slide the whole brownie on to a cooling rack. Cut it into squares once it has cooled completely.