We are tearing the back off the house I am remodeling. It’s an old house, built in 1905, and at some point someone stuck an absolutely awful addition onto it. Seriously, I am talking concrete floor overlayed with linoleum, corrugated iron roof and a cheap window. The addition may actually be bigger than the original structure. Everyone I know, and that means pretty much everyone, thought I was crazy to buy it. But…it’s in a great location with a good-sized lot just right for a garden and the tiny original part of the house just needs a little love.

Here in Asheville if you are located in one of the many historic areas you have to get your plans approved by the Historic Resources Commission. They want to make sure that none of the many late 19th century and early 20th century homes are destroyed or altered for the worse. (Clearly they were not around when the addition was made to my house.) The permitting process was centered more around what I should rebuild on the back than whether or not I could remove the existing addition. They were delighted that I was taking this project on. I believe one of them even offered me home-baked cookies if I would remove the plastic shutters as well.

So here I am two months into the project, permits firmly in hand, and demolition about to begin.

This calls for a celebration and that means chocolate! I stood looking at the pile of plaster, bricks and other rubble in what will someday be my kitchen and I thought “brownies”. But with texture; something that speaks of stone, and a touch of bitter-sweet that harkens back to the past which had such good intentions and hope. Because, yes, I do see myself in this sweet little house with it’s age, it’s strong foundation, and it’s great future. I am stripping away that which has no longer works and exploring the possibilities of what may work!

Back to chocolate.

“Cocoa nibs”, said Caine, my contractor, when I was telling him about my plans to create a Demolition Bar in honor of the event. One of the many wonderful things about Asheville is the it-should-not-be-but-is-surprising depth and variety of interests found in the people. Caine was involved in the first kitchen redo at the inn and the subsequent addition and he and I have bounded over our interest in kitchen gardens (especially growing hot peppers) and cooking and preserving the produce from them. So, cocoa nibs are what he suggested when I was talking about adding texture to my basic brownie recipe to signify the rubble, brick and mortar of the demo.

Cocoa nibs are chocolate in its most basic form, before anything is added. That being said, you can’t exactly call them unprocessed. In order to reach a form in which we can use them they have to be “harvested, fermented, dried, cleaned, roasted, cracked, and then removed from the shell.”

Learn more about cacao nibs and what you can do with them here >>

Do you ever wonder how on earth mankind arrived at the conclusion that some things could be eaten? I often do. But that’s a whole other blog! Anyway, cocoa nibs are crunchy, slightly bitter nibs of chocolate. The experience of eating one is akin to that of eating a chocolate covered coffee bean without the coffee flavor. In a word, perfect for a Demolition Bar.

And then, of course nuts. Not the usual walnuts or pecans commonly found in brownies, I am thinking pistachio nuts.

So off to the oven I go!

: Pistachios

: Brownie Frosting

: Demolition brownies – in the rubble

Demolition Brownie Bars

Ingredients

FOR THE BROWNIES

2 oz unsweetened chocolate
½ cup unsalted butter
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
½ cup unsifted flour
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
1 cup slightly chopped pistachios

FOR THE TOPPING

1 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 tblsp unsalted butter
1 cup confectioners sugar
2 tblsp water
2 tblsp to ¼ cup Cocoa Nibs

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9”x 9” baking pan
Melt the chocolate and the butter in the microwave at 50% power for 6-8 minutes depending on the strength of your microwave.
While the chocolate is melting, prepare the other ingredients.
Mix together the eggs, sugar and vanilla, beating them together for a minute or two until they have thickened and lightened in color a bit.
Chop the pistachios and measure your dry ingredients.
Once the chocolate has melted, add it to the eggs mixture and stir. Stir in the flour and salt followed by the nuts. Mix until just blended.
Bake the brownies in the prepared pan until just done, 20-25 minutes. Center should be set and a toothpick inserted two inches from the side should come out clean or mostly clean. Be careful not to overcook them.
While the brownies are still warm spread them with the topping.
Melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave. Add the water and sugar and stir until smooth. Spread over the still warm brownies and sprinkle with the chocolate nibs using more if you like it very crunchy.
Cool, cut and devour!