Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a 9 inch (22 cm) square baking tray with parchment paper.

Combine the flour, cocoa powder, instant espresso powder, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves and salt, stirring gently till everything is incorporated.

In a small saucepan, add the dark chocolate and butter. Place over very low heat, stirring slowly but constantly until the chocolate has melted completely. You can also do this step in the microwave: place the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl, then place in the microwave stirring after every 30 seconds until the two have melted and are homogenous. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, add the eggs and sugar. Using a whisk or electric mixer, beat the eggs till they are pale, fluffy and more than double in volume. If you lift the beaters, the eggs should fall in a ribbon, and you’ll be able to see the ribbon for 2-3 seconds before it merges with the rest of the batter. This step is crucial, as you want the sugar to dissolve so that you get that crackly top. It takes about 10-15 min by hand, and 5-10 minutes using an electric beater.

Gently fold or whisk the cooled chocolate into the egg mixture, till just combined.

Next, fold in the dry ingredients, making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl, till everything is incorporated. Folding the ingredients helps retain the volume of the batter, which gives the brownies a bit of height.

Finally, fold in the chopped chocolate and nuts.

Pour into the prepared baking pan, spreading it out to all the corners.

Bake for 23-25 min or until a toothpick comes out clean, perhaps with a few damp crumbs (careful not to pierce one of the chocolate pieces).

Let the brownies cool for around 20 minutes at least, before cutting. Chilling the brownies in the fridge makes these easier to cut as well, but I love warm brownies.

Serve as they are, or with some ice cream and chocolate sauce. Store leftovers, covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.