My Favourite Brownie Recipe

Brownies are one of those things (like chocolate chip cookies) that have probably been cooked by everybody at one time or another. Everyone knows what they like and most regular cooks (or at least regular cooks with children) have their own "go to" recipe that they look to whenever they are asked for a plate of brownies. And when it comes to brownies, everyone's taste is different - some people like brownies at the cakey end of he spectrum, some at the fudgey end of the spectrum, some in-between. I am definitely in favour of the fudgey brownie, and this is my "go to" recipe.

I first discovered this recipe because I wanted to whip up some brownies but had no chocolate in the house. I was going through recipe after recipe to see if I could find one that required only cocoa powder when I found this one in "Marie Claire: Flavours" by Donna Hay. It is dense and rich and soft and so gooey you need to keep the brownies in the fridge. Preferably a fridge with a padlock to stop the constant raids these brownies inspire. In my view, these brownies can't be beaten (although I do have one member of the household who prefers the Betty Crocker packet brownies which are thin and cakey, so there is no accounting for taste!) If you are cooking for grown-ups not kids, you can make these into fancier mint-chocolate brownies. (After putting half the mixture in the tin, cover it with a single layer of after dinner mints and then the remaining brownie mixture. Cool and slice as usual). Thanks to the darling daughter for the photo.

Chocolate Brownies

from "Marie Claire: Flavours" by Donna Hay

250g butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

4 eggs

1 1/3 cups plain flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1/4 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 170C. Place the butter, both sugars and the vanilla in a stand mixer and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and beat each one until well-incorporated. Sift the flour, cocoa and baking powder over the butter mixture and fold through. Scrape the mixture into a 20cm square tin lined with non-stick baking paper. Bake for 40-50 mins until set in the middle, but still quite soft (remember we are going for fudgey not cakey). Cool in the tin, and then cover and put in the fridge until completely set. Cut into squares. Fall into raptures.