For years, I relied on variations of the original and utterly foolproof Delia Smith recipe for American brownies. My usual variation was doubling or even quadrupling the amount of chocolate, and it still seemed to work. The list of ingredients looks a bit different here, but these vegan chocolate walnut brownies are my vegan version of those classic brownies.
Everyone has their own idea of a perfect brownie. These are crisp and shiny on top with an intensely chocolatey, fudgy and slightly chewy centre.
Like the Delia Smith recipe, this one is very adaptable. Leaving out the syrup makes a lighter brownie, as does halving the chocolate.
The recipe uses the oddly-named but very straightforward new ingredient, aquafaba (chickpea water), to achieve a classic brownie texture and crust.
Lots of walnuts are essential to the flavour and texture. Reputedly the healthiest of all nuts, high in Omega 3 fatty acids and Vitamin E, they also add nutritional value. In this version they are both inside the brownie and sprinkled on top. You can toast them a bit before adding them to the mixture for extra flavour, if you have time.
Light muscovado sugar, golden syrup and vanilla all contribute a fudgy flavour dimension, but chocolate will, naturally, be the dominant flavour, so use a dark chocolate that you really like.
The pictured brownies had been chilled overnight before cutting. If you prefer a more gooey centre or are using these as a dessert brownie, a few seconds in the microwave softens them up.
Vegan Chocolate Walnut Brownies…
Ingredients
- 200g good dark chocolate
- 40 ml golden syrup
- 90 g mild-tasting vegan margarine
- 50 ml aquafaba (chickpea water – see instructions below)
- 1/8 tsp cream of tartar
- 150 g light muscovado sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 190 g plain flour
- 2.5 level tsp baking powder
- 100 g chopped walnuts
- 40 ml soya or other non-dairy milk
Method
- Set the oven to 180°C/360°F and lightly oil a baking tin (the pictured brownies were baked in a 9″/23cm square tin).
- Melt 120 g of the chocolate together with the golden syrup and margarine.
- For the aquafaba, simply turn a tin of chickpeas upside down a couple of times to distribute the starch, then open the tin and strain the chickpea liquid in to a bowl through a sieve. A standard 400g tin of chickpeas will probably contain double the amount of liquid needed.
- Whisk the aquafaba with the cream of tartar, ideally using an electric mixer, until it is roughly at soft peak stage (this will take two or three minutes). In the same way as you would make a meringue with eggs, add the sugar in stages, continually mixing. It doesn’t matter if it doesn’t return to soft peak stage as long as it is thick and glossy. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the vanilla extract to the chocolate mixture.
- Roughly chop the nuts and the remaining 80g of chocolate.
- Stir the flour and baking powder together before sifting into the chocolate mixture. Fold until just combined.
- Gently fold in the aquafaba meringue mixture and the chocolate and nuts, reserving a good handful of nuts for the top.
- Lastly stir in the milk. Don’t overmix.
- Pour or spoon the mixture into the tin before sprinkling the reserved nuts over the top and baking for around twenty-five to thirty minutes. For a softer brownie, take it out on the early side.
- Ideally, leave the brownies for several hours or overnight in a cool place before cutting into squares.
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