Tiny Treats feature: Hazelnut brownies with maple chocolate ganache
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‘Tis the season to turn off the oven and enjoy more raw treats, so a couple of weeks ago I pulled out the Tiny Treats collection—you know, for old times’ sake. I wanted to make something for a friend’s birthday party that weekend and I knew these hazelnut brownies would be a hit (and they were).
After all, who doesn’t love chocolate? And especially when it involves other delicious, whole ingredients like nuts and dates and maple syrup. The chocolate frosting on top of these squares of heaven has become one of my favourites, not only because it’s so easy to pull together but because it’s incredibly rich and creamy. See?
In case you’ve forgotten about our beloved ebook, this is the perfect time to flip through it once again like I did (or consider buying a copy for a friend). I own a nice collection of ebooks from other talented bloggers and chefs but I often forget about them because they’re not staring at me from the bookshelf in my kitchen but instead are hidden within a secluded folder on my desktop. I think I need to do something about that.
In the meantime, I thought it would be fun to share this amazing recipe from page 27 of the ebook. Just because I love you so. And because chocolate never goes out of style.
Enjoy!
PrintHazelnut brownies with maple chocolate ganache
Yield: 20 to 24 tiny brownies
Ingredients:
For the date paste:
- 11/2 cups (300g) Medjool dates, pitted and soaked in water until soft (about 30 minutes)
- 1/2 cup (120mL) water, or as needed
For the brownies:
- 2 cups (280g) raw hazelnuts
- 1 cup (130g) raw macadamia nuts
- 1/2 cup (40g) natural cacao powder
- 1/4 tsp (1.25mL) sea salt
- 1/2 tsp (2.5mL) pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp (2.5mL) pure hazelnut extract
- 1/2 cup (160g) date paste
For the ganache:
- 2/3 cup (60g) natural cacao powder
- 1/2 cup (120mL) pure maple syrup, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup (60mL) melted coconut oil
- 1/4 cup (30g) chopped raw hazelnuts (for topping)
Directions:
- To make the date paste, drain the soaked dates. Using a blender, blend the dates and as much water as is needed to achieve a smooth, thick paste. You may need to stop and scrap down the sides of the blender container a few times along the way. Set aside to use in the brownies.
- To make the brownies, use a food processor to process the hazelnuts and macadamia nuts to a coarse meal. Take care not to over process or the nuts
will start to form a paste. - Add the cacao powder and salt and pulse to combine. Finally, add the date paste, vanilla extract and hazelnut extract and process until it forms a thick dough.
- Line an 8x8-inch square pan with parchment paper and press the dough evenly into the bottom of the pan.
- To make the frosting, use a clean food processor to blend the cacao powder and maple syrup until smooth. With the motor running, pour in the coconut oil and blend until emulsified.
- Spread the frosting evenly over top of the brownie base, using an offset spatula to smooth out the top. Sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts.
- Chill the brownies in the freezer until set, about 2 hours. Cut into small squares. Store in the fridge or freezer.
Exclusive recipe from Tiny Treats.
