Banana Nut Brownies

157680 hours, that’s a whole lot. Or call it 6570 days or 938.57 weeks. Whichever way you look at it, it’s a gigantic number of not only time, but also love, laughter, grief and life lived. 18 years to be exact (I’m a math geek, sorry for that). And yes, that’s the number I’m turning today (not-so-silent hint, hehe). I think it’s crazy to think of myself as an adult from now on. Not because I’m still childish (okay, at times I might be so, but those are blinks of seconds in close circles with only my best of friends…) but moreover because I’ve looked up to so many for so long, all the ones turning 18 or older just thinking how wise they must be how much they must know about their future, seeming to have life all checked out and planned already.

The truth is… It’s nothing like that! Yet it is the greatest time ever, taking leap of faiths, enjoying every second and bursting into all of life’s wonderful miraculous moments with full responsibility – magic! Okay, enough of those philosophical writing, back to the facts – I’m 18 now, I love it and here we have brownies, ‘cause birthdays call for chocolate-y celebrations!

And no, these aren’t your everyday-choc-to-the-max-sugar-coma brownies, no, they include parts of the first but have also paired up with some bananas and a few nuts for added texture and taste variations and with or without a candle: they’re rockstars! You would expect a dense and fudgy brownie with maybe some well known hazelnuts on the inside at the first glance, yet you find yourself munching on a nice chewy, super-chocolate-y brownie with a variety of crushed nuts and a nice subtle sweetness of bananas. The addition of whole wheat and exclusion of added fats make these a nice, melt in your mouth, totally brownie-crown-worth-y treat without any sugar-shocks or food comas as aftermaths. Need I say more?

I’ve covered my laptop in some brownie crumble as I am writing this post, ‘cause I couldn’t help but keep coming back for a second one… I’m 18 now, so I’ll do what I want i.e. writing down the recipe while munching on a third brownie if there would have only  been some left before we packed up for our vacation. Matter of fact, there were none a few hours after they turned out of the oven, so I couldn’t bring any with me. Nevertheless I think the sun and sea will do a good job as  ;-). And whether you’ve got something to celebrate or not, these brownies will always rock!

Banana Nut Brownies

-         1 banana, mashed (~100g)

-         250g dark chocolate

-         120g brown sugar

-         2 eggs

-         60g flour

-         50g chopped nuts of choice

1. Turn your oven to 180 °C/360°F. Melt the chocolate in a small saucepan on low heat, adding the mashed banana once the chocolate starts to melt. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
2. Once melted turn of the heat, let cool for a couple of minutes, then add in the eggs, sugar and flour whisking briefly until just combined, then stir in the nuts.
3. Line a small square pan with parchment paper or grease it. Pour in the brownie mixture and bake for 25-30 minutes until top is crisp and a skewer inserted comes out mostly clean.
4. Take out, let cool for 5 minutes, then slice into roughly 20 individual two-biters or the size and shape of your choice. Serve when still warm or let cool and safe them for later. They keep fresh, wrapped in aluminium foil, for 2-3 days. Enjoy!