Olive Oil Brownies (Parve or Dairy)

Chocolate and olive oil? I hadn't thought about it until I tasted the chocolate olive oil pralines made by Elie Tarrab, an amazing chocolatier in Tel Aviv.

These are adult brownies – dark and smooth, with a background taste of olive oil. For a sophisticated dessert, use a round pan and cut the brownies into wedges. A fruity but not-too-strong oil like Israeli Nabali or Picual is wonderful in this recipe.

4 ounces (100g) unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1/3 cup fruity extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

¾ cup sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup lightly toasted chopped walnuts, hazelnuts or pistachios (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350F (175C). Line an 8-inch (20cm) square baking pan with parchment paper and spray the paper and sides of the pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Melt the chocolate over low heat in a double boiler or on low power in the microwave. Whisk in the oil and the vanilla.

Beat together the eggs, sugar and salt with an electric mixer until pale and thick. (A hand-held mixer is fine, but don't skip this step.) Whisk in the chocolate mixture. Fold in the flour and optional nuts, stirring just until everything is combined. Pour into the prepared pan.

Bake for 15-20 minutes. (A toothpick inserted in the center should still be a little sticky.) Cool completely and cut into squares.

16 squares