Variety Chocolate Brownies
These brownies are every chocoholics dream come true. The secret to a really great brownie is using both melted chocolate and cocoa powder, plus butter instead of oil (as the butter has way more flavour than oil).
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs beaten
- 320 g colden caster sugar you can also use white caster sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract or bean paste
- 140 g unsalted butter
- 60 g dark chocolate
- 20 g Cocoa Powder
- 140 g plain flour gluten-free flour if required
- 100 g dark chocolate 70% cocoa solids, chopped or broken into small cubes
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
garnish
- 1 tbsp icing sugar using a heart-shaped stencil
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 400°F, gas mark 6, 200°C (190°C fan-assisted) and line a 9x9 inch square tin with parchment paper.
- Place the butter and 60g of dark chocolate into a small glass bowl and place it over a pan of gently simmering water, taking care not to let the bottom of the bowl touch the surface of the water. Stir occasionally until both have melted and are well combined – then set it aside to cool.
- Into a large mixing bowl place the beaten eggs, caster sugar and vanilla extract and whisk by hand until thoroughly combined, then add the melted and cooled chocolate and butter and whisk again until everything is well mixed.
- Sift the flour, salt and cocoa powder into the bowl with the wet ingredients and, using a large metal spoon or spatula, gently mix the wet and dry ingredients together until they are just combined, taking care to make sure you get right to the edge of the bowl – then fold in the remaining 100g of dark chocolate chunks. Don’t be tempted to stir it too much or your brownies will be tough!
- Pour the mixture into pre-lined baking tin.
- Place the tray into the preheated oven on the middle shelf and bake until just risen around the outside and still slightly soft inside – if you like your brownies to have a gooey center then 20 -23 minutes should be enough or, if you like them slightly more cakey, then bake for 24-25 minutes.
- Remove the tin from the oven and leave to cool for 1 1/2 hours before lifting out of the tin and onto a wire rack to cool completely, approximately 2/3 hours.
- To make the stencil measure a piece of paper 9x9inch then in the center cut out a heart shape, either by drawing a heart and cut from inside or you can fold over the sheet of paper and draw half a heart and cut along the markings.
- Place the stencil on top of the cooled brownies and using a fine mesh sieve add 1 tbsp. icing sugar and make sure the heart is covered well. Then carefully lift up the stencil.
- Take a lovely photo, then cut into 26 squares!
- Enjoy!
- Do you fancy taking on the #TwoPointSixChallenge and supporting Variety The Children’s Charity @VarietyGB If so, then your challenge is to whip up a batch of my Chocolate Brownies and then cut them up into 26 slices, as per my video, with the iconic Variety heart. Taking part will mean that you are helping to support disabled and disadvantaged children right here in the UK. You can simply donate £2.60, £26 or whatever you can afford by clicking on the JustGiving link below https://bit.ly/3cEs99H or https://twopointsixchallenge.justgiving.com/get-involved?charityId=11151 If you can please send me a picture of your brownies and tag in @myrelationshipwithfood and @VarietyGB. And why not nominate some friends to take on the challenge too? Donations (of any size) are also VERY welcome - please follow the link above - they would be very gratefully received ? #Variety #myrelationshipwithfood
Notes
[recipe-video]
LISA’S TIP
These deliciously rich chocolate brownies are even more sublime eaten freshly baked and still warm from the oven – and, even better, when served as a dessert with a scoop of your favourite ice cream!
For extra decadence, you can top the brownies before going in the oven with raspberries, mini marshmallows, white or milk/dark chocolate chips, walnuts and macadamia nuts all work well too! And if you aren’t so keen on dark chocolate then feel free to use milk chocolate instead – or why not try a mix of white, milk and dark? Store any uneaten brownies in an airtight container and eat within 5 days – or freeze them for up to 1 month.
