Warmed walnut brownie with Vanilla Ice cream is commonly found on all restaurant dessert menu list. You can find endless variations of brownies served in different ways on sizzlers, skillets, platters and even champagne saucers. Even fast food joints also have an attractive looking brownie on their list.

Many of my friends ask me, what is the difference between a brownie and a cake? When I serve my Easy rich chocolate cake to them they often smile and reply, “What a tasty brownie!!”, and I have to inform them that it’s a cake. But the confusions still rules…..

A good brownie ought to have a firm crisper top, slightly chewy and a rich fudgy texture inside. It’s flat and denser than a regular cake, falls into a category between a cake and a cookie. Understanding the functionality and compositions of the ingredients clears half the battle to a good brownie. To make a good brownie you need good quality chocolates or chocolate chips (which has cocoa solids, sugar and fat). The fat and the sugar in the chocolates produce the fudgy texture. When you put a piece in your mouth, it’s the fat that creates the richness and moist texture. Sugar inverted by the cocoa acidity forms the fudgy and slight sticky texture for brownie. Finally folding in the egg whites gives a crisper top.

It can be made ahead and stored refrigerated for 4- 5 days in an airtight container. This brownie can be warmed at 75% heat in a microwave for a minute without losing its texture before serving with chocolate sauce, ice-creams or whipped cream.

Ingredients:-

1. All Purpose Flour- 1 level cup.
2. Cocoa powder- 1 Tablespoon.
3. Powdered Sugar- 1 and 1/4(one-fourth) heaped cups.
4. Eggs – 3 nos.
5. Vegetable Oil- 3/4 cup.
6. Dark chocolate – 2 squares (160 gms approx.) or Chocolate chips -3/4 cup.
7. Baking powder- half teaspoon.
8.  Vanilla Essence- 1 teaspoon.
9.  Walnuts crushed- a handful.

Method:-

• Grease and flour dust your baking pan. Preheat your oven.
• Take a mixing bowl; melt chocolate with vegetable oil on a double boiler. Mix well till the melted chocolate and oil  is smooth and shiny.
• Separate the eggs and keep the yolks aside. Beat the egg whites till stiff with an electric whisk.
• Combine the egg yolks, vanilla essence and add in the sugar to the melted chocolate and oil mix. Take the bowl off the double boiler once all mixed well.
• Add the sifted flour and baking powder to the chocolate mix. Combine thoroughly as the batter turns slightly stiff and lumpy.
• Finally fold in the stiff egg whites to the batter gently till all incorporates well in the batter.
• Add the walnuts and Spread the batter evenly onto the prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes.
• Cool in the pan and cut into bars or squares.