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Bonjour Brownies
Book, sofa, mug of something hot – what more could you wish for in the chilly first months of the year? A delicious brownie, of course. Makes 6–8
240g dark chocolate, chopped 100g butter, at room temperature 120g caster sugar 2 eggs
60ml semi-skimmed milk 120g cup plain flour
25g ground almonds 1tsp baking powder 1 whole vanilla pod 20g macadamia nuts 20g walnuts, chopped 20cm square baking pan, greased and dusted with flour
Preheat the oven to 190˚C/375˚F/gas mark 5. Melt the chocolate until smooth, stirring occasionally, in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Do not let the base of the bowl touch the water. Remove from the heat. Beat the butter in a bowl with a wooden spoon until very soft. Mix in the sugar until well incorporated, then add in one egg at a time. Pour in the milk and stir. Add the flour, almonds and baking powder and beat. Split the vanilla pod lengthways and scrape the seeds into the bowl. Pour the melted chocolate in and mix everything together well. Finally, stir in the macadamias and walnuts. Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking pan, spread level with a spatula and bake in the preheated oven for around 20 minutes. Allow the brownies to cool in the pan for a few minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Serve at room temperature, cut into equal portions.
Le Cookie by Mickael Benichou and Steve Painter Ryland, Peters & Small Out now
Meet debut cookbook author Katie Quinn Davies. A stylist and photographer based in Australia, she’s already renowned for her online blog documenting her adventures in food
“I’ve always collected cookbooks, and I have hundreds at this point. Right now I am in love with My Greek Island Home by Claire Lloyd – it’s stunning the whole way through yet so understated and elegant. I am a big fan of Gordon Ramsay and Cooking for Friends is probably the one book I have used most over the years, along with Heston Blumenthal at Home.”