This has to be my most favourite time of the year! I just love to catch up with friends after a beautiful summer of days out with our families. Part of this ritual is doing some home baking. These Brownies reign supreme on that front!!
These are proper brownies, rich and fudge like that just melt in your mouth. In the past year I have tried all sorts of "healthy" brownie recipes and to be perfectly honest they varied from fair to a complete disaster. Now my quest still goes on for that good for you brownie (as if!!), but for now I'm going to stick to what works.
Donal Skehan is a self taught home cook that I have come to admire over the last couple of years, his recipes are easy to follow and they just work. Which lets be honest is what you want when you are adding to your (ever expanding!) cook book collection. These will not disappoint and are worth the small amount of effort involved.
Adapted from Donal Skehan's Rich Frosted Chocolate Brownies
Makes 24
Ingredients
225g Dark chocolate (I used a mix of 74% and 55% Dark Chocolate)
225g Butter
300g Caster sugar
3 Large eggs
1tsp Vanilla extract
75g Plain flour
1tsp Baking powder
Method
Donal uses a 22x30cm baking tin, however as I don't have that exact size tin, my beloved roasting tray acted as the prefect substitute! Once lined with baking paper is was ready to go. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/ Gas Mark 4.
Break the chocolate into pieces and place in a microwaveable bowl with the butter. Melt both in the microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring after each session. Set aside to cool slightly. With an electric mixer, whisk the sugar and eggs in a large bowl until they becomes foamy and pale.
Slowly add the melted chocolate mixture to the eggs and whisk until combined. Add the vanilla extract and whisk again until thick.
Sift the flour if you want to remove the lumps, but if you're like me and you don't really care then don't bother ;) Mix the flour and the baking powder together and slowly stir into the chocolate mixture until just combined.
Pour into your prepared baking tin and bake in the centre of your oven.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until the brownies are set, especially in the middle. Don't over bake though you want them fudgey. The brownies will pull away from the sides when baked.Allow to cool completely in the tin before slicing into 12 pieces.
