Best Homemade Chocolate Brownies
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: 8 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Makes 9-12 brownies
- 250g/8.8ozs dark or milk chocolate bits
- 140g/4.9ozs butter, cubed
- 180g/6ozs caster or superfine sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 125g/4ozs cake flour
- 60g/2ozs cocoa powder
- 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
- 180g/6ozs milk or dark chocolate chips
Step 1 - Preheat oven to 180C/250F or 160C/320F fan forced. Line a 20x20x5cms or 8x8x2inch square baking tin with parchment on the base and sides. In a large glass bowl melt the chocolate and butter together in the microwave or over a double boiler. Mix with a spatula until smooth. Add in the sugar and mix in well again and then add the vanilla and eggs, one at a time until combined. The batter will be slightly grainy but smooth.
Step 2 -Sift in the cake flour, cocoa powder and baking powder into the wet mixture and then mix everything together and then mix vigorously until the batter turns shiny. Usually with cakes you don't want to overmix but with these brownies just keep mixing with the spatula until the batter turns shiny. Then stir in the chocolate chips. Scoop into the prepared tin and smooth down the top with an angled spatula. Bake for 30-35 minutes until set. Cool completely. Dust with cocoa and cut into squares.
Brownies can last 3–4 days at room temperature in an airtight container. They can last 1 week in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer (wrapped up well).
I ended up with so many brownies while testing this recipe that I've given them out to almost everyone I know. I handed them to friends that I was catching up with. I handed some to a friend when we were driving to a restaurant and she opened them up and tasted them. Everyone has remarked about how gorgeously rich and delicious they are and how they are right between cakey and fudgey brownies.
Everyone that has gotten into my car with me also remarks on two things:
I drive barefoot. I picked that up from Mr NQN. I don't go anywhere barefoot, even in the house but I have to drive barefoot (and it's legal btw!).
Also my music taste is a mystery to those that love me. And it is even more lately too. More recently I added a whole bunch of songs to my playlist and they even had Mr NQN scratching his head. I got this latest batch of songs from Tiktok where they were all trending audio songs. They range from movie soundtrack songs to sentimental songs to Rage Against the Machine. One second it will be Killing In The Name Of and then it's a slowed down version of Scott Street by Phoebe Bridgers. It is truly musical whiplash!
So tell me Dear Reader, what would people say about your musical taste? And do you prefer cakey or fudgey brownies or a combo of the two?