Courgette, cardamom and chocolate brownies

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Elly McCausland's sumptuous courgette brownie recipe may seem a little peculiar to the uninitiated, but the result is moist and decadent, bursting with flavour from the chocolate chips, light cardamom spicing and pistachios.

First published in 2015

There was probably a time, once, where the idea of putting courgettes into brownies would have been met with consternation and revulsion. Now, however, it’s old news. Carrots, beetroot, butternut squash . . . the list of vegetables that can be sneaked into a cake batter with delicious results is a large one, and courgettes are no exception. You would have no idea that these rich, flavoursome brownies contained courgette if you tasted them, but the vegetable keeps them deliciously moist.

They’re delightfully gooey in the middle, peppered with molten dark chocolate chips, and fragrant with a whisper of cardamom and the molasses aroma of muscovado sugar. Ground pistachios enrich the crumb with their gorgeous nutty flavour, and add extra crunch to the crispy top of the brownie. They can be whipped up in a few minutes and are a wonderful, slightly healthier, alternative to traditional buttery brownies – as well as a great way to use up a glut of late summer courgettes.

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Courgette brownies

To decorate

Method

1
Preheat the oven to 175°C/gas mark 4. Grease a 20x20cm baking tin and line with baking parchment
2
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, salt, sugars, oil, ground pistachios, cinnamon and crushed cardamom. In another bowl, mix together the cocoa, baking powder and flour
3
Sift this into the wet mixture and fold gently to combine. Fold in the grated courgettes and chocolate chips, and mix until just combined
4
Pour into the prepared tin, scatter over the chopped pistachios and bake for 30–40 minutes, until the batter has set and springs back when pressed in the middle. Leave to cool
5
Slice into 16 squares and enjoy!

Elly McCausland is a food writer based in Yorkshire. She is a keen gardener and loves cooking with home-grown produce.

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