I’ve tried more then a few different brownie recipes over the years, I already have one on my blog which is the recipe I use the most, but this one is also delicious, another simple recipe that’s all mixed up in a saucepan! It’s very indulgent, but hey a treat worth having has to be naughty!! I love a day spent in the kitchen and the smell of chocolate wafting through the house can only be a good thing, you know you have the ultimate sweet treat on it’s way! It’s win win!! 

This would be a perfect recipe to get kids involved and that’s saying something considering I get in a right old mess baking with chocolate! All you need is a saucepan, balloon whisk a brownie tin or a square cake tin. I used a 20cm loose bottom brownie tin. You can of course bake them just as they are or you can add an extra treat as I did, I chose Reese’s mini peanut butter cups, mini eggs at Easter would be good, Maltesers ( chopped ) so many different treats to chose from or you could always go mad and do a mixture!!! All you do is scatter them over before baking. I still chopped up the mini Reese’s. 

Okay so lets get baking…

You will need: A saucepan that will hold all the ingredients, 20cm square brownie tin or cake tin, fully lined with either foil or parchment and a ballon whisk.

Ingredients:

• 250g butter, cubed
• 400g caster sugar
• 300g dark chocolate ( 70% cocoa solids ) broken into pieces 
• 1/2 tsp sea salt flakes
• 5 large free-range eggs
• 100g ground almonds
• 100g plain flour

Method:

Heat your oven to 170c /150c fan /gas 31/2

Put the butter and chocolate in a heavy based pan, then set over a low heat, stirring now and then, until the mixture has melted and is smooth and combined.

Remove from the heat then, using a ballon whisk, stir in the sugar and salt.

Add the eggs one at a time, whisking after each one. If the mixture splits at this stage, don’t panic, keep adding the eggs and whisking and it will be fine.

Whisk in the flour and the ground almonds until just combined and smooth, then pour into the tin. If you’re adding any extra treats scatter them over the top.

Bake the brownies for 40-45 mins until the top is cracked, and the underneath is just set but still squidgy. If you like them drier, more like cake, bake them for 10-15 minutes longer. Cool in the tin, then chill for at least 4 hours before turning them out and cutting into 24 squares. If you don’t chill them they’ll be to soft to cut.

If you cook them for 50-55 mins they will be firmer, cool in the tin for 10 mins, turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely, then cut into squares.

I cooked them for 50 mins couldn’t wait and had a taste test whilst they were still warm and they were delicious!!

The finished brownies will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container in a cool place. In my notes it says that if you are going to make them ahead then cook them for no longer than 45 minutes because they may dry out. Mine were still fudgey after a day!

Enjoy and don’t forget to let me know if you try them.

Deb xx