Welcome Yule Guests With Walnut Brownies

This is the time of year that I love to have sweet confections on hand to offer friends who stop by unexpectedly. Like many others, I do not have an abundance of free time during this frenzied season to spend baking, but I love the idea of having something homemade to share with guests.

While browsing through a new cookbook, “How To Bake,” by my friend Nick Malgieri, I was inspired to try his recipe for Chocolate-Walnut Squares. The moist, chewy brownies were delicious and, much to my delight, took only a few minutes to assemble and a little over half an hour to bake.

These decadent squares kept well for several days, and they can also be frozen - if you can resist eating all of them first.

Chocolate-Walnut Squares

From “How To Bake,” by Nick Malgieri (HarperCollins Publishers).

1-1/2 cups (about 6 ounces) coarsely chopped walnut pieces

1/2 cup bleached all-purpose flour

2 eggs

Dash salt

1 tablespoon dark rum

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup dark corn syrup

3 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

3 tablespoons butter

Set rack at middle level of oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Butter 8-inch square pan and line bottom with square of parchment or waxed paper. Set aside.

Combine walnuts and flour and set aside.

Whisk eggs, salt and rum in medium bowl and set aside.

Combine sugar and corn syrup in saucepan and mix well. Place over low heat and bring to boil. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and butter and allow to stand 3 to 4 minutes, then whisk smooth.

Whisk chocolate mixture into egg mixture. Stir in walnut mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake about 35 minutes or until set and firm. Cool in pan on wire rack. Remove from pan and cut into 2-inch squares.

Yield: 16 (2-inch) squares.

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