Nancy Silverton’s Brownies Recipe May Have Changed Her Life by Donna John

Nancy Silverton is a hoot. I love watching her as a judge on shows like MasterChef, Hell's Kitchen and Top Chef (to name just a few). Nancy Silverton was the winner of the James Beard Foundation's Outstanding Chef Award in 2014, is the owner of Osteria Mozza restaurant in Los Angeles, and is known for making sourdough and other artisan breads popular in the U.S. She is also the author of the cookbook, The Cookie That Changed My Life. And apparently, a brownie changed her life, too.

This rich, decadent walnut brownie recipe is in that cookbook. She recently shared the recipe with People magazine. This chocolate brownie recipe is a step above the rest. She uses two kinds of chocolate and toasts the walnuts before adding them to the batter. Amazing!

To make Nancy Silverton's walnut brownie recipe you will need to gather the following ingredients: walnuts (check out the health benefits of walnuts), an unsweetened chocolate baking bar, butter, kosher salt, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, eggs, flour, a bittersweet chocolate bar and flaky sea salt. Do allow time for the baked brownies to cool on the counter and then in the fridge. They are worth the wait!

Serve these nutty brownies for dessert or give a box to your sweetheart on Valentine's Day.

Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 30 minutes plus time to chill 
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 1/2 hours plus time to chill 
Servings: 16

Ingredients

• 2 cups walnut halves
• 8 ounces unsweetened chocolate baking bar, cut into large chunks
• 1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 4 eggs (extra large)
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 8-ounce bittersweet chocolate bar (70 percent cacao), coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt

Here's how to make it: 

1. Put the walnuts onto a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 325-degree F oven until toasted, about 16 to 20 minutes. Shake the pan halfway during the cooking time. Remove, cool and chop. Set aside. Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees F. (Not a fan of walnuts? Try this recipe with almonds, pecans or cashews.)
2. Spray a 9x9-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray, then line it with two pieces of parchment paper that comes up all the sides. Mist the parchment paper with nonstick cooking spray. 
3. In a double boiler, melt the unsweetened chocolate, butter and kosher salt. Cook, stirring, until smooth, about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat. 
4. Stir the granulated sugar and vanilla extract into the chocolate. Add the eggs and stir until incorporated. Add the flour until incorporated. Fold in the bittersweet chocolate chunks and walnuts. 
5. Pour the batter into the baking pan. Put the pan into the 400-degree F oven and then reduce the temperature to 375 degrees F. Bake for 10  minutes, then sprinkle with the flaky salt, if using. Bake for another 20 minutes. (You can omit the flaky salt, if desired.)
6. Remove the brownies from the oven and cool for 1 hour. After the hour, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before removing from the pan and cutting into squares. Store the brownies in an airtight container.

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