Leite's Passover Brownies

By stancec44

Passover brownies are almost always disappointing. Not these. How could they be with matzo meal for Pesach, bittersweet chocolate, sugar, butter, eggs, brandy, and nuts. They’re slightly crumbly outside and splendiferously fudgy inside.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup matzo flour or matzo meal*
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or seeds from 1/4 vanilla bean
• 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 1/2 oz), plus more for the pan
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup brandy or chocolate liqueur
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate (optional)

Details

Servings 8
Preparation time 15mins
Cooking time 60mins
Adapted from leitesculinaria.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (170°C). Butter an 8- or 9-inch square baking pan.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the matzo flour or meal, sugar, and vanilla.

3. Melt the bittersweet chocolate and butter in a medium-ish to large-ish saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth. (Or you can opt to toss them in a glass microwave-safe bowl and nuke them until the chocolate just starts to lose its shape, checking every 30 seconds or so. As soon as you stir the chocolate, it will melt completely. Stir until smooth.) Be careful not to scorch the chocolate or it will taste, you know, scorched.

4. Stir the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture. Add the eggs, brandy, walnuts, and chocolate chips or chopped chocolate, if using, and stir just until incorporated.

5. Scrape the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry, about 45 minutes. You should probably start checking the brownies for doneness at 30 minutes. Let the pan of chocolatey goodness rest at room temperature for a few minutes, if you can stand the wait, before cutting into squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.