When summer arrived, I wanted a dessert that would be suitable for outdoor eating and not melt into puddles of butter due to the heat in Sydney. This is what happened when brownies came to my mind.
Today was the first BBQ for the season, and the weather was perfect. We had a great time in the sun. These cookies not only kept me cool, but they also allowed me to make new friends. You don’t have to be convinced any further, so keep reading for a chocolate fix that will not disappoint!
I CONFESS
Many people at work regarded this brownie recipe as one of the best. The recipe was from the BBC. I adapted it and simplified the instructions to make it easier to read.
Ingredients
Chocolate Brownies
- Butter (185g, chopped into small cubes).
- Dark chocolate 185g (chopped in small pieces).
- 85 g of plain flour
- 40 g cocoa Powder
- 3 Large eggs
- This raw caster can be substituted with the white caster.
- Chop 100g of your favorite combination of nuts or dark chocolate. I used Macadamia Nuts; the recipe called for white and dark chocolate in 50g portions.
- Decorate with fresh or freeze-dried Raspberries and melted chocolate.
Method
Chocolate Brownie
- Melt chocolate and butter. Place your chopped chocolate and butter into a bowl. Fill a small pan with water, about a quarter full. Place it on low heat. Put the bowl with chocolate and butter over top. You don’t want to put the bowl directly in the water. Leave enough space for the steam to rise, and gently warm the bowl. Continue to stir the butter and chocolate over low heat until they melt. Allow to cool until room temperature. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and microwave it for 2 minutes at High.
- Set aside plain flour and cocoa. Preheat oven to 160C fan/180C conventional/gas 4. Line a 20cm square shallow tin with non-stick baking papers.
- BEAT THE EGGS WITH SUGAR. Break the eggs in a large bowl. Add the caster sugar. Whip the sugar and eggs with an electric mixer at maximum speed until thick and creamy. This could take between 3 and 8 minutes. When the mixture is pale and has doubled in volume, you’ll know that it’s done. If the mixture runs off the beaters and leaves a trace on the surface for a few seconds, then when you move it side to side, the mixture is ready.
- Mix the dry and wet ingredients. Pour the chocolate mixture over the egg mixture, then fold gently with a rubber spoon, going under and back over, in a figure eight. Move the bowl around after each fold until the two mixes are the same color. Be gentle, as the idea is to combine them without destroying air. Re-sift the flour and cocoa over the wet mixture, spreading it evenly. Fold in the dry ingredients gently using the figure-of-eight motion. At first, the mixture will appear dry, lumpy, and dusty. Continue to fold it very gently until you see the mixture become fudgy. You don’t want this mixture to be over-mixed, so stop just before it feels like you should.
- BAKE AND SERVE Stir in the chocolate or nuts until they are evenly distributed. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin. Then, gently ease the mix into the corners and smooth the top of the tin with your spatula. Bake for 30 minutes. Shake the pan gently to check the consistency. The brownie is not done if it wobbles. Slide it back into the oven and continue baking until the top is shiny and papery and the sides begin to separate from the pan. Remove from the oven. Note: The baking time will vary depending on the stove. Keep an eye out after the first 30 minutes.
- Decorate the brownie by leaving it in the tin for as long as possible before cutting. Melt some chocolate buttons and drizzle them over. Raspberries are a great way to finish it. If you don’t eat it all in one go, the berries will stay in an airtight jar for two weeks and up to a whole month in the freezer.