Rocky Road Brownies

Here in Malaysia, the first quarter of the calendar year is usually fraught with public holidays and long weekends. For the first major one of this year - Chinese New Year weekend - I went on a beach island getaway with two girlfriends, one of whom I haven't met since I was six!

Even though it was only three nights, we switched hotels three times (long story) and went through such a vast range of experiences that it felt like we were there for a week. Amazing weekend though, despite hitting a snag or two, but it was long overdue... for all of us, I think.

gosh, I love instagram

Now that I'm back at work, wearing closed-toed shoes once again and actual underwear as underwear, I've been craving something chocolatey and rich to fill the void of sitting on a beach, sea-salt hair and daytime boozing. Wooo run-on sentence.

the view from my deck chair

What's more chocolatey and rich than soggy brownies? LOL okay, so they're not supposed to be as moist as they turned out for my first batch (pictured here), but that's my fault for following the recipe to the T and taking it out before my oven had had its way with the batter. I should know by now that my oven is not as warm and takes a little longer to bake... Let's just get on with it:

Rocky road brownies
recipe from Joy the Baker

• 1 2/3 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup cocoa
• 175g butter
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tbsp brewed coffee
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/3 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips, optional
• 2 cups mini marshmallows

1. Preheat the oven to 180C, butter and flour your 10x10 pan
2. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and set aside
3. In a double boiler, allow the butter, cocoa and 2 tbsp of brewed coffee to simmer, stir through the congealed mess it will become until you get a smooth and runny consistency
4. In the bowl of your stand mixer, whisk the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla. Stir the butter and cocoa mix into the egg mix slowly (don't lick the spatula from the cocoa mix, it tastes naaasteee!), beating on low-medium the whole time
5. Gradually stir in the flour mixture. Fold in the chopped walnuts
6. Pour into prepared pan, scatter some chocolate chips on top if you want to, and bake for 20-25 minutes
7. Take the brownies out, set your oven to grill/broiler, and pour the marshmallows on top of the brownies
8. Pop the pan back into the oven, on a higher shelf closer to the grill, and watch it for 2 minutes or so. When the marshmallows have browned (as you can see, I jumped the gun AGAIN and pulled them out too soon) pull the pan out and allow to cool on a wire rack
9. Use a sharp knife with hot water handy to soak the knife in between cuts, otherwise you'll have a huge mess on your hands when cutting through this
10. Enjoy with a glass of milk. Seriously. 

Very, very, moist brownies. However, the brownies themselves aren't very sweet, and I quite like the strong cocoa flavour. The marshmallows are great, especially when still warm, but I think I can do without next time. 

Cheers,

Nabs