Victory Brownies

I made these on election day and friends and co-workers loved the hint of orange and the sparkle of heat from a pinch of cayenne pepper. Hazelnuts are a star in these brownies, but walnuts can be substituted.

Original recipe makes 16 brownies

Ingredients

2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
1 (1 ounce) square semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons honey
2 eggs, slightly beaten
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or amount to taste
1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest

  • PREP

    20 mins

  • COOK

    40 mins

  • READY IN

    1 hr

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter 8 inch square baking pan.
  2. Melt unsweetened chocolate, semisweet chocolate, and butter in a saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat.
  3. Stir in brown sugar, white sugar, and honey; mix until sugar is dissolved. Beat in eggs, a little at a time. Add flour, salt, baking powder, vanilla, hazelnuts, cayenne pepper, and orange zest. Stir until blended well and mixture is glossy. Pour batter evenly into pan.
  4. Bake until the surface looks dry and a toothpick inserted in the center has just a film of chocolate on it, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool on a rack about 12 minutes and cut into squares while still warm.

Nutrition

Calories: 221 kcal
Carbohydrates: 23.3 g
Cholesterol: 42 mg
Fat: 14 g
Fiber: 1.7 g
Protein: 3.3 g
Sodium: 97 mg