Chocolate Strawberry Hazelnut Brownie Bars

This brownie recipe is going on my list of favorites. I found this recipe in the book I'm Dreaming of a Chocolate Christmas by Marcel Desaulniers. I made these brownies for Christmas this year and everyone loved them, including me. And as always, please use a high quality chocolate. It makes all the difference. Happy Baking!!!

Makes 24 2x2 inch bars

"If this is not an 'uptown,' dressed -up brownie, then I must be in the wrong neighborhood. Actually, fresh strawberries and sweet hazelnuts baked in a chocolate batter, topped with a Chocolate Hazelnut Ganache, should put this brownie in the penthouse suite. If you want Santa to visit you neighborhood, I suggest that these brownies are the perfect invitation."

CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRY HAZELNUT BROWNIES
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1 tablespoon pieces, plus 1 tablespoon melted
1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 pint fresh strawberries
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup hazelnuts, skinned and toasted and coarsely chopped

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT GANACHE
10 ounces semisweet baking chocolate, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons Frangelico

MAKE THE STRAWBERRY HAZELNUT BROWNIES
Preheat the oven to 325 F. Lightly coat a 13x9x2 inch nonstick baking pan with the melted 1 tablespoon butter. (I just used crisco shortening and it worked fine.) Sprinkle the pan with 2 tablespoons of the flour. Shake out the excess.

Melt the 12 tablespoons butter and the unsweetened chocolate in the top of a double boiler or in a medium glass bowl in a microwave oven and stir until smooth.

Gently rinse the strawberries in a colander with lukewarm water. Shake the colander to remove excess water. Stem, then cut the berries into about 1 inch chunks. In a sifter, combine the remaining 1 1/4 cups flour, the salt, and baking soda. Sift onto a large piece of parchment or wax paper.

Place the sugar, eggs, buttermilk, corn syrup, and vanilla into a large bowl and stir with a whisk to combine. Add the melted chocolate and stir with a whisk to incorporate. Add the dry ingredients, and stir with the whisk to thoroughly combine (the batter will not be completely smooth). Use a rubber spatula to fold half of the berry pieces and 1/2 cup of the hazelnuts into the batter (set aside remaining berries and hazelnuts for decoration later). Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan, spreading evenly with a rubber spatula.

Bake on the center rack of the oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. (Rotate the pan 180 degrees halfway through the baking time.) Remove from the oven and cool in the pan at room temperature for 15 minutes, then refrigerate for 30 minutes before decorating.

MAKE THE CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT GANACHE
Weigh out and set aside 4 ounces of the semisweet chocolate for decoration. Place the remaining 6 ounces chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring the heavy cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour the cream over the chocolate, and stir with a whisk until smooth. Add Frangelico and use the whisk to stir gently to combine.

Remove the brownies from the refrigerator. Pour the ganache over the brownies, and use the rubber spatula to spread it evenly over the entire surface. Sprinkle the reserved chocolate over the ganache, then the reserved berries, and finally the remaining 1/2 cup hazelnuts. Refrigerate the brownies for 1 hour (to firm ganache enough to cut).

While the brownies are still in the pan, use a serrated knife with a rounded tip to cut into twenty-four 2 inch bars. For a clean cut, heat the blade of the knife under hot running water and wipe dry before making each cut. Serve 1 or 2 bars immediately with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream, or store the bars in a tightly sealed plastic container in the refrigerator.

THE CHEF'S TOUCH
Don't be intimidated by the list of ingredients needed for this brownie. Your first extraordinary moist and mouthwatering bite will validate your organizational and baking efforts.

If you do not have a bottle of the hazelnut-flavored liqueur Frangelico, you may omit it from the recipe or substitute it with another compatible liqueur, like Godiva.

Chocolate Strawberry Hazelnut Brownie Bars will keep in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days in a tightly sealed plastic container in the refrigerator. Remove from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving. To me, they seem to taste best when they are slightly cool, but they are also quite enjoyable when cold directly from the refrigerator.