A recent study highlighted the health- and brain-boosting effects cocoa can have on us. Because of this study, having something chocolatey for breakfast has become a worldwide trend in 2017 – one reported to enhance your grey matter for the day ahead. Although we cannot confirm that these chocolate brownies will have any incredible physical results on your body, we can endorse – through very scientific (ahem) taste testing – that a hit of choccie in the morning does wonders as a temporary pick-me-up!
Recipe and styling by Claire Ferrandi
Photograph by Dylan Swart
Chocolate and oat breakfast brownies
Although we cannot confirm that these chocolate brownies will have any incredible physical results on your body, we can endorse – through very scientific (ahem) taste testing – that a hit of choccie in the morning does wonders as a temporary pick-me-up!
Ingredients
- 200g butter, cubed
- 200g dark chocolate, finely chopped
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- 30ml (2 tbsp) strongly brewed coffee + extra cup, to serve (optional)
- 5ml (1 tsp) vanilla essence
- 335g castor sugar
- 60g cake flour
- 40g cocoa powder
- pinch salt
- 100g pecan nuts, roughly chopped
- 60g oats
- fresh fruit, to serve (optional)
Instructions
Grease and line the base and sides of a 23cm square brownie tin. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Place the butter cubes and the chopped dark chocolate in a large glass bowl and fit the glass bowl over a pot of simmering water (don’t allow the base of the bowl to touch the water below it). Stir the chocolate-butter mixture until melted, then remove from heat.
Stir the beaten eggs, 30ml (2 tbsp) brewed coffee, vanilla essence and castor sugar into the melted mixture. Mix well to combine and to dissolve most of the sugar. Sift the cake flour, cocoa powder and salt into the mixture, and fold gently to combine, without overmixing. Fold in the pecan nuts and oats, and pour the mixture into the prepared brownie tin.
Bake the brownies in the preheated oven, 30 minutes, until they feel set but still squidgy in the middle. Remove the brownies from the oven and allow to cool, about 30 minutes, before slicing into 16 squares. Serve with your choice of fresh fruit, if desired, and a cup of freshly brewed coffee for a breakfast treat.
Imka Webb is a freelance digital marketing expert and the digital editor of Food & Home Entertaining magazine. www.imkawebb.com
