Recipe: Spiced Brownie Brittle (using ginger, cinnamon and black pepper)

SPICED BROWNIE BRITTLE

"These paper-thin cookie-cakes redefine what a brownie can be. Not too sweet, intensely chocolaty, and redolent with spice, they are a decidedly adult treat, the perfect companion for a cup of espresso.

Notice that you do not grease the pan for these brownies. The proportion of butter to flour is so delicately balanced that added fat on the pan can cause the batter to split. Besides these cookies never stick."

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, broken in half
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup ground pecans, almonds, or walnuts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the chocolate, ginger, cinnamon, and black pepper. Remove from the heat and stir until the chocolate is melted.

Stir in the sugar, vanilla, and egg until smooth. Stir in the flour and beat well.

Pour and scrape the batter into a (10x15x1-inch) jellyroll pan and tilt the pan back and forth, allowing the batter to flow into a thin, even layer across the pan. Scatter the ground nuts evenly over the top.

Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cake is just set. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack for 20 minutes.

Cut or break into 2 dozen rough-shaped pieces, as you would a nut brittle.

Makes 24 servings
Source: One-Pot Chocolate Desserts by Andrew Schloss