Fudgy Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients

• 150 g unsalted butter, cut into cubes, plus extra for greasing
• 150 g dark chocolate (55–70% cocoa), roughly chopped
• 200 g caster sugar
• 50 g soft light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla essence
• 90 g plain flour (maida)
• 30 g unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ tsp fine salt
• 80 g dark or milk chocolate chips, or chopped chocolate (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 175°C (160°C fan). Grease the tin lightly with butter and line the base and two sides with baking paper, leaving an overhang to lift the brownies out later.
2. Put the butter and chopped dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, making sure the bowl does not touch the water. Stir occasionally until completely melted and smooth, about 5 minutes.
3. Take the bowl off the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes, so the hot mixture does not scramble the eggs.
4. Whisk both sugars into the chocolate until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each, then whisk in the vanilla. Keep whisking for about 1 minute until the batter looks thick and glossy.
5. Sift the flour, cocoa powder and salt over the batter. Fold gently with a spatula until just no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix, or the brownies turn cakey.
6. Fold in the chocolate chips if using. Scrape the batter into the tin and level the top.
7. Bake in the middle of the oven for 25–28 minutes. The top should look set and crackly, and a skewer pushed into the centre should come out with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter.
8. Cool the brownies completely in the tin, at least 1 hour, so the centre firms up. For neat squares, chill for 30 minutes, lift out using the paper and cut into 16 pieces with a hot, wiped knife.

Tips

• Pull the brownies out while the centre still looks slightly soft. They keep cooking in the hot tin and set as they cool.
• Whisking the eggs and sugar into the warm chocolate for a full minute helps create the thin, shiny crust on top.
• Use a good dark chocolate you enjoy eating, as it is the main flavour. Very sweet cooking chocolate gives a less deep result.
• Wipe the knife clean between cuts for sharp edges.