13.) Chocolate-walnut brownie-cake

Chocolate walnut cake is a success! The evidence is to the right. No. He did not eat it all in one sitting. But at the same time, no. There is not any left.

This cake was incredibly easy! The walnuts came from M. and Mme. P's own walnut tree. Having said that I will remind you that walnuts from trees do not come in plastic bags. Also, there is no nut cracker in this house. (I'm trying to think of some play on words here for nut cracker and my LSB, but nothing springs to mind at the moment). Sans nut cracker, I head to the tool box. A screwdriver? No. A hammer? No. Pliers? Yes! Be forewarned though - walnuts can explode when under too much pressure! A broom is nearly as handy as a mixer when making this cake with hand-cracked walnuts.

I'm a little worried about my big flexipan. By the time the middle was done (springs back to the touch, toothpick inserted comes out clean, sides pulling away from the edge of the pan - as per Mom's instructions!), the bottom was slightly toasty (read verging on burnt and tasting slightly like charcoal). Also, when I flipped the cake out (and remember, with this pan, the top is supposed to be the bottom because the bottom (the part of the cake in the pan) is supposed to be the shiny glorious top), it collapsed! Look closely at the magnificent photo! The middle is sagging. Sadly sagging or sagging sadly, comme tu veux (as you like!)! Not cool flexipan!

This is a close-up of the chocolate walnut brownie-cake. I'm calling it a brownie-cake because with its sadly sagging center (I'm big into alliteration today) it was dense like a brownie instead of fluffy like a cake.

Looks tasty. Tasted tasty. One could even say. . . terribly toothsome!

LSB suggested that I include my recipes on my blog so that those with an adventurous spirit can follow in my very tentative baking footsteps. Here is the brownie-cake recipe.

• 170 g dark chocolate
  
• 120 g softened butter
• 200 g sugar (sifted)
  
• 3 eggs
  
• 80 g flour (sifted)
• 5-6 walnuts (as desired)
  

-Preheat oven to 225°c
-Break chocolate into pieces, add 3 tbs. water, melt in microwave (1 minute). Mix until chocolate is completely melted and let stand while continuing in the recipe.
-Cream sugar into softened butter.
-Beat eggs into butter/sugar.
-Mix in flour.
-Mix in chocolate.
-Mix until smooth.
-Attack 5-6 walnuts with pliers. Mix in the nut meat but not the shells (which are probably on the ground by now anyway!)
-Bake for 25 minutes or until Mom's advice is met.

How is that not incentive for LSB to return my non-functional watch? Oh! And guess what!? It was just the battery! LSB brought back my spiffy and functional! new watch. What a guy!