Chocolate Hazelnut Brownies - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 cup rice malt syrup
1 cup dried pitted dates, chopped coarsely
1/4 tsp sea salt flakes
1/2 tsp baking soda
14 tbsp (1 3/4 sticks) butter, chopped
3 None eggs
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus additional, for dusting
1 cup ground hazelnuts
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whole roasted peeled hazelnuts, halved

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350\u00b0F. Lightly grease and line a 12 x 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, extending paper at long sides for handles.
Place syrup, dates, salt and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan on low heat. Simmer for 5 mins or until dates are soft.
Stir baking soda into date mixture. Transfer to a food processor and process until smooth. Return date mixture to saucepan. Add butter and stir on medium heat until butter melts. Transfer mixture to a large bowl; cool 5 mins.
Whisk in eggs, one at a time. Stir in sifted cocoa powder, ground hazelnuts, flour, sour cream and hazelnuts. Spread mixture into prepared pan, smoothing top.
Bake for 30 mins or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs attached. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Dust with additional cocoa powder and cut into squares.