Smoked Pecan Brownies

Whats better as a pud (post a massive lump of meat) than a Sweet, chocolatey yet tart Brownie?!

Serve it warm with Honeycomb Ice cream, or thick double cream. A sure fire hit. 

Adapted for the grill from Jamie Oliver's Bloomin' Brilliant Brownies  but pimped by adding smoked, spiced caramelised Pecans.

First up Set your Traeger to Smoke.

Spread out 250g (you only need 50g for the brownies but nice to have in stock) of chopped Pecans on a perforated Stainless smoking tray, and leave for 45 mins to soak up the smokiness. 

Once they've had there fill of smoke, lets caramelise them.

• 25g butter
• 45g (1/4 cup) brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 tablespoons water
• 250g pecan nuts

Melt the butter in a frying pan over a low heat.

Add the sugar, salt, paprika and water. Cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium and bring to the boil, but keep stirring! 

Add the nuts and keep stirring for 3-4 minutes or until glazed and golden brown, taking care to not burn your nuts.

Tip them out onto some grease proof paper to cool. 

For the Brownie Mix

Ingredients

• 200 g quality dark chocolate (70%)
• 250 g unsalted butter
• 75 g dried cherries
• 50 g caramelised chopped pecans
• 80 g quality cocoa powder
• 65 g plain flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 360 g caster sugar
• 4 large free-range eggs
• Sprinkle of Cocoa nibs

Turn the Traeger (or oven) to 180°C/350°F

Line a 24cm square baking tin with greaseproof paper. Using a couple of blobs of butter to hold the edges if necessary. 

Snap the chocolate into chunks and add to a large bowl, add the butter and place over a pan of simmering water, until melted, stirring regularly.

You can do this in a microwave as well, if you don't have bowl big enough to do the Bain Marie. Just go slow and steady, 30 secs at a time. 

Stir through the cherries and nuts 

Sift the cocoa powder and flour into a separate bowl, add the baking powder and sugar, then mix together. 

Add the dry ingredients to the chocolate, cherry and nut mixture and stir together well. Beat the eggs well, then mix in until you have a silky consistency. (can do in a mixer) 

Pour the brownie mix into the baking tin sprinkle with the cocoa nibs and place in the hot Traeger for around 25 minutes.

You don’t want to overcook them and you don’t want a skewer to necessarily come out clean – the brownies should be slightly springy on the outside but still gooey in the middle.

Allow to cool in the tray, then carefully transfer to a large chopping board or cooling rack and cut into squares.

Serve with a good dollop of Honeycomb ice cream...