Baking
57 recipes
This is in the top three baking requests by my kids, and now their school too! Every time I bake these someone asks for the recipe – I think the cake tin size seems to make the right batch of brownies – the right height and squidginess - plus the mix of chocolate chips is a key factor too.
The less butter the chewier, the more biscuity the brownie is - however the more butter the more dense, rich, and dessert-style is the brownie, which is this version here.
Buy the best quality cocoa you can if you are looking to serve this as a dessert.
The addition of nuts would transform it to a more luscious chocolate goodie too, but we all here like the mega chocolate version to be honest.
One more idea– to make Christmas brownies, add 1 tsp mixed spice to the dry ingredients, and fold in the nuts with some brandy-soaked craisins or cranberries (50g).
The recipe is based on one by Bill Grainger.
Makes 20 bars or 8 large serves. V.
Pictured: Bars of chocolate brownie
Ingredients
- 250g unsalted butter, melted
- 80g/ 2/3 cup baking cocoa, recommend Dutch cocoa*
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 2 - 2 ½ (300-370g) cups caster sugar**
- 2 tsp vanilla essence
- 60g or ½ cup plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 100g dark chocolate bits or chopped chocolate
- 100g white chocolate or caramilk bits
- Optional - add 120g hazelnuts, or any favourite nut, chopped
- *Dutching or Alkalising Cocoa - is a process developed in Holland. An alkali is added during the process, which neutralises the astringent quality of the cocoa and gives it a darker colour and richer, smoother, more rounded flavour. This cocoa can dissolve in liquids more readily too.
- **Depending how sweet you like and how dark the chocolate
- Preheat the oven 160°C.
- Line the base of a 22cm sq tin with baking paper. If you have a larger tin, adjust your cooking times to a little less to keep the brownies fudgy and not overcooked – keep an eye on them.
Method
Melt butter, allow to cool slightly to not cook the eggs.
Sift sugar, cocoa, flour and baking powder together in a large bowl.
Add the butter, eggs and vanilla to the bowl and mix until combined.
Stir through chocolate bits and add the optional nuts at this stage too.
Pour mixture into the prepared tin.
Bake approximately 40 - 50 minutes until just cooked and firm when pressed in the centre, be careful not to overcook it, especially if you like your brownies quite fudgy. A good way to tell is if it is starting to crack open the top a little and into the centre.
If your cake tin is a different size or you prefer your brownies crunchier, adjust the cooking times and check every 5 minutes or so a bit earlier.
Pictured: Chocolate brownies resting out of the oven
Leave it to cool in the tin to settle and make it easy to turn out. If you are worried you have over cooked it, turn it out after 20 minutes settling in the tin onto a wire rack.
Cut into bars of 8 large or up to 20 small. Dust with cocoa or icing sugar to decorate.
To serve - you can serve warm with ice cream for a dessert.
Pictured: Christmas brownies
Dietary preferences
- Vegetarian
