Scott’s Easy Chocolate Brownies

Don’t over-bake these goodies or they will be dry. When cooked and just out of the oven, they look rather raw in the middle, but they firm up as they cool!

Makes about nine large brownies

butter and flour for the tin
100g plain chocolate, broken in pieces
225g butter (preferably unsalted), cut into smallish chunks
4 medium-sized eggs, at room temperature*
225g sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
100g plain flour
50g chocolate buttons or plain chocolate chopped into bits (optional)

* If your eggs are cold, put the eggs in a bowl and cover them with medium-hot water for a few minutes to warm them up. (Cold eggs and melted chocolate don’t mix well!)

Method

1. Heat the oven to 170C/325F/gas3. Lightly grease a 23 x 23cm baking tin (or another baking tin about that size), dust it with flour, shake out the excess and put the tin aside.
2. Put the chocolate pieces and butter chunks into a pan whose base fits snugly over a saucepan. Add a little water to the lower pan and bring the water to a gentle simmer – so that water vapour begins to rise.
3. Put the pan with the chocolate and butter on top of the saucepan of simmering water. When the butter has melted to small pieces, remove the top pan from the bubbling water and let the mixture cool, stirring the butter and chocolate until they are both melted.
4. Whisk the eggs and sugar for 3-4 minutes. Whisk in the cooled chocolate-butter mixture, along with the vanilla essence.
5. Sieve the flour onto the chocolate mixture and whisk it in very well.
6. If you are adding the chocolate buttons or chocolate bits, stir them in and pour the mixture into the prepared baking tin. Even the top of the brownies with the back of a spoon, if necessary, and bake them for 15 minutes.
7. Remove the pan from the oven, cover it loosely with a flat sheet of foil, cardboard or other covering and let the brownies cool for at least an hour. Cut the brownies into portions and serve.
8. Store them covered. If there are any brownies left after about 24 hours, keep them in the fridge.

Each serving provides:
Kcal: 446
Protein: 5.2
Fat: 28.8 (of which saturated fat: 16.6g)
Carbohydrate: 45.6g (of which sugars: 37g)
Fibre: 0.8g

Nutrition Points:

a) This recipe is high in sugar and in saturated fat.

Serving Suggestions:

a) Brownies are great, especially slightly warm or at room temperature, with a dollop of ice cream or custard.
b) Brownies are easy to carry with you for a delicious high-energy snack.

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