Coffee and walnut is a classic flavour combination and deservedly so. It’s usually used in cakes, but it’s great in a brownie too.

Makes: 16 (4 x 4) squares, or 12 (4 x 3) larger oblongs, or 20 (5 x 4) smaller ones

Time: 30 minutes prep. 35 minutes baking + cooling. 20 minutes for decorating option.

Level: Easy

Need: A 20cm (8”) square baking tin

Ingredients

100g/3½oz unsalted butter + a little to grease the tin
300g/10oz dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
2 – 3 tsp instant coffee, ground finely
250g/9oz soft light brown sugar
75g/2½oz golden syrup
4 medium eggs
½ tsp coffee extract (optional or replace with more instant coffee)
75g/2½oz plain flour
½ tsp salt
75g/2½oz walnuts – small pieces (so the block can be cut cleanly)

To decorate (optional)

50g/1¾oz dark chocolate
15g/½oz butter
12 – 20 walnut halves (i.e. one per brownie)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C / fan 140°C / 325°F / Gas 3. Butter & line the tin.

2. Put the chocolate into a bain marie on a low heat. As it melts stir in the ground instant coffee.

3. While the chocolate is melting, put the butter, sugar and golden syrup into a large saucepan and gently melt. Stir well to make sure all the sugar dissolves.

4. Stir the melted chocolate into the above mixture.

NB This order is OK, but recently I’ve discovered that if I add a mixture INTO the melted chocolate then I leave less chocolate behind in the bowl.)

5. Lightly beat the eggs and stir in the coffee extract. Add this to the main mixture and beat until well mixed.

6. Sift over the flour and salt then fold in with the walnuts.

7. Spoon the mixture into the tin. Tap it on a work surface to dispel any air and bake for about 35 minutes. (It needs to be slightly wobbly when baked.) Remove from the oven, and leave to cool. Either turn it out now or leave in the tin to harden.

8. Turn out of the tin if you haven’t already done so, remove the paper and trim the edges. Using a sharp knife or a metal dough scraper, cut it into pieces, or cut it while still in the tin and remove piece by piece.

9. For the optional decoration, melt the chocolate and butter together over a bain marie then brush this over the surface of the brownies. (You may need to invert the brownies to use the flatter surface.) Add a walnut half to each brownie.

I hope you make and enjoy this tray bake. Click this link for more tasty traybake recipes. Here are some of my personal favourites that I think you’ll love too:

Blueberry and Orange Flapjack