Published Mar 16
The best recipes in our kitchen didn't come from cookbooks. They came from watching the women before us cook. Our Recipe Box Series brings those dishes back to the table, passed down through four generations and made exactly as they always have been.
Dense, deeply chocolatey and studded with toasted hazelnuts, these fudge squares are deceptively simple for how good they are. One saucepan, baked low and slow, with a texture that sits somewhere between a brownie and fudge. Don’t skip toasting the hazelnuts. It takes ten minutes and makes all the difference.
How to Make It
Difficulty: Easy
Overall Time: 1 hr 20 min
Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 30 min, plus 30 min cooling time
Serves: 16
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup hazelnuts, toasted, skinned and chopped
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ⅛ tsp fine sea salt
- 2½ oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS
- Position rack in center of oven. Preheat to 300°F. Butter an 8-in square baking pan.
- Spread hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast in oven until skins are dark and nuts are golden, about 10 minutes, shaking the pan once halfway through. Transfer to a clean tea towel and rub to remove skins. Roughly chop and set aside.
- Whisk flour with baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Melt chocolate with sugar and butter in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool slightly, 5 minutes. Stir in eggs and vanilla, then fold in flour-mixture until just combined. Fold in hazelnuts. Pour into prepared pan and smooth top.
- Bake in center of oven until a tester inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs, about 30 minutes.
- Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely, 30 minutes. Cut into squares and serve at room temperature.
How to Store It
Squares will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
