Hazelnut Brown Butter Brownies

Hazelnut Browned Butter Brownies

makes 24 or 48, depending on cutting style

7 ounces hazelnuts, skins removed and toasted (you can buy these skinned, such a great shortcut!)

1 heaping cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon kosher

1/2 cup sugar

4 sticks butter (1 pound)

12 ounces good quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped 

6 eggs

2  1/2 cups sugar

1 tablespoon espresso, strong coffee or instant espresso dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water

Preheat oven to 325°.  Lightly spray a 9 x 13 baking pan with cooking spray.  Line pan with parchment paper, leaving a 1″ edge of paper above the pan line for lifting the brownies out of the pan.  Lightly spray the paper.  Set aside.

Place cooled skinned and toasted hazelnuts in food processor bowl with cocoa,  salt and 1/2 cup of the sugar and pulse until finely ground. 

In a large saucepan, cook the butter over medium heat, shaking the pan occasionally until nutty-smelling and golden, about 5 minutes.  Remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate; let stand until melted, about 2 minutes.  Whisk the butter and chocolate until smooth, scraping up any browned butter solids from the bottom of the pan.  Let cool slightly. 

In a large mixer bowl beat the eggs with remaining 2 1/2 cups of sugar and the coffee, about 5 minutes.  Beat in the chocolate-butter mixture.  Add the cocoa-hazelnut mixture and beat to combine, scraping down the bowl.  Scrape the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for about 50 minutes or until top is glossy and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.  Let brownies cool slightly and then refrigerate until chilled.  Lift brownies out of pan and peel off foil. Cut into desired size.  These freeze well tightly wrapped in plastic wrap.