GOOEY CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

So I had a few things on at the weekend that spurred me on to make a batch of brownies. First, it was my lovely friend Jane’s birthday, secondly I was having friends round for dinner on Sunday night and thirdly, my heavily pregnant sister in law, Sami, kept texting me that her baby ‘needed’ some chocolate brownies! So I used my fail-safe recipe…

Ingredients
250g (9oz) unsalted butter, softened
200g (7oz) dark chocolate (over 70% cocoa content)
50g (2oz) cocoa powder, sifted
75g (3oz) plain flour, sifted
2 tsp baking powder
350g (12oz) caster sugar
4 large eggs
1tbsp Golden Syrup (this isn’t essential but its a lovely extra)
Handful of pecans, toasted and chopped
Handful of chocolate chips, whatever chocolate you prefer.

Method

Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan oven), 350F, Gas 4. Line a 23cm (9inch) square tin with baking paper.

Melt butter and chocolate over simmering water and mix till smooth.

In a large separate bowl mix the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder and sugar.

Then add the chocolate mixture to this.

Beat the eggs and mix in thoroughly till you have a silky consistency. Then add a good squeeze or a tablespoon of Golden Syrup. This isn’t an essential addition, I just love the flavour of Golden Syrup and it takes the edge off the bitterness of the dark chocolate.

Add chocolate chips. I have used a mix of dark chocolate and white chocolate chips.

Then add the chopped toasted pecan nuts.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and put the tin in the oven.

Bake for around 25 minutes until well risen and firm to the touch. Don’t overbake!

Allow them to cool in the tin, then cut into squares.

What I love about these brownies is that they always turn out beautifully….crisp on the outside and dark, gooey and divinely chocolatey in the inside. They also stay gooey and fudgey for days afterwards.

They taste amazing when warmed in the oven and and served with cold cream. Mmmmmmm……