Nick Malgieri
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Nick Malgieri

Baumnuss Brownies

Another wonderful recipe from Chef Fredi Nussbaum of the Hotel Storchen Zurich…

Makes one 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan, about twenty-four 2-inch square brownies

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter

10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar, firmly packed

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour (spoon flour into dry-measure cup and level off)

4 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups lightly toasted walnut pieces, coarsely chopped

One 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan buttered and lined with buttered parchment or foil

  1. Set a rack at the middle level of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
  2. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking until butter sizzles and is very hot. Remove pan from heat and add chocolate.  Swirl pan to submerge chocolate and wait a couple of minutes for chocolate to melt.  Whisk smooth, and then whisk in the brown sugar.
  3. Whisk the sugar and flour together in a mixing bowl and whisk in 2 of the eggs smoothly. Whisk in the remaining 2 eggs followed by the salt and vanilla. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the chocolate mixture, then the walnuts.
  4. Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for about 40 minutes, until top has formed a shiny crust and batter is moderately firm. Cool in pan on a rack.  Wrap pan in plastic wrap and keep at room temperature or refrigerated until next day to make cutting easier.
  5. To cut brownies, unmold onto a cutting board, remove paper and replace with another cutting board. Turn right side up and trim away edges. Cut brownies into 2-inch squares.