For peep sakes… /-/ Marcona almond and amaretto Brownies

I have just had one of those days. Well at 3 am we had to turn back our clocks because of Day light savings in Australia. Sure gaining an hour of extra sleep would of be great right? Very , very wrong.



I think I might be the only person who assumes that the clocks all turn themselves backwards, even the ones that aren’t digital. This morning I had an appointment with a group from University, and it being a weekend I was not in a keen mood to get up. I woke up, thinking I was late. This is where the series of unfortunate events starts. First tripping on my way to bath room; Second running out hot water in the middle of shower( perils of living in a house were main bathroom traffic is at 6 am).



I knew things could not get any worse, so me being cold, hurt and wet, I proceeded to make my way out.



This may be boasting but I remember the train table off by heart, so when the train came I did not question whether it was an hour early. Guess, what I did?

In my haze, I stepped on the train.

Only once I reached the city center did I come to terms with what I did. I have taken the train which was an hour earlier then when I had to get to city and two hours earlier than when I had to meet my group. I think the only word here to describe this feeling is “DOH!”.



Please tell me I am not the only one who has done this because I still feel very dumb for making this mistake. Anyway home time and what I needed was something sweet, easy and above all covered in chocolate. I do not often eat chocolate but this was one of those times.

Life had left a bitter taste in mouth but I knew how to turn this around. Bitterness is not always bad, think cocoa or dark chocolate; I love the stuff and often hoard massive amounts. Hey you never know! I could have a whole week of unfortunate events!



I love Nigella Lawson; her food editorials and cook books are some of the most read books in my collection. Her description of food and its impact upon her life is almost poetic; relating them to her family, friends and of course her emotions. While everyone has their own favourite brownie recipe this is mine. I love her recipe, it is easy to remember but the way she described these brownies in her book captured me forever. One day I hope to write verses like hers but until then you can put up with my jumbled ramblings on this blog.



The addition of salted and fried Spanish almonds takes these tender, melting brownies to some place special. Amaretto is my favourite liquor flavour and works so well with chocolate  think the combination in the almond joy or flour less chocolate cakes. Almonds and chocolate are made for each other. Equal amounts of butter and chocolate with high ratio of almonds and chocolate bits? What more could you ask for? Even on day were people would say “the Lord is testing me”

Happy reading folks! I am off to eat another 10.



Marcona almond and amaretto Brownies

Makes 40 bites

Adapted barely from Nigella Lawson’s Feast.



375g dark 85% chocolate

375g unsalted butter

60g cornflour

180g plain flour

200g raw caster sugar

6 eggs

45ml Amaretto

150g Marcona almonds, roughly chopped

150g dark chocolate chips

½ tsp salt flaked.



Preheat oven to 170c

In large sauce pan, Place chopped chocolate and butter. Melt together on low heat whisk constantly until combined. Leave to cool.

In a bowl shift corn flour and plain flour. Crack eggs in a bowl then add sugar and amaretto. Whisk to combine.

Take your cooled chocolate mixture. While whisking add your egg mix to the chocolate mix.

Fold in your flour mix to the chocolate batter. Add chopped almonds and chips, stir to combine.

In a 25cm by 25cm tray or your mini muffin tins, lined and grease the pans. Divide mix among the pans

Bake for 10-15 minutes for mini muffin tins and 25 minutes for large pan. Please do not over bake the small ones as they will turn out dry.

Once baked, leave in tins for 5 minutes then turn out to cool on baking rack.