Chocolate Brownies

There’s always a place for gooey chocolate brownies in this house! They are the one treat that always disappears the fastest - perhaps it’s the crispness of the top, or the melt in the mouth centre? For me it’s the little sprinkle of sea salt on the top of brownies that makes the whole thing come together into a taste explosion. That dark chocolate bitterness turned into incredible sweetness.

CLASSIC BAKING AT HOME

With Easter just around the corner and with everyone spending more time at home, it's the perfect time for simple and classic baking. There will always be a place for these classic bakes in every kitchen. Those which you can make time and again and never get bored of.

The key to perfect chocolate brownies is not to over bake them - unless you prefer a more cake-like texture. A skewer will always come out wet so it’s not a good indicator of how ready they are. The best way is to gently agitate the pan - does the mix still wobble? If so, then pop it back in the oven for a few more minutes and test again. Bake it slow and low and you’ll have perfect brownies every time!

Once baked and cooled, drizzle the brownies with a little melted chocolate and a sprinkling of sea salt. I usually melt the chocolate in the microwave for ease. Simply break the bar down into small chunks and heat in 30 second bursts, stirring between each. Once the chocolate has almost but not quite fully melted, just continue to stir and the heat from the warm chocolate will help melt the remainder and prevent it from burning.

INGREDIENTS

• 250g dark chocolate

• 250g butter

• 4 eggs

• 300g caster sugar

• 60g plain flour

• 60g cocoa powder

• handful of chocolate chips

• 100g melted milk chocolate to decorate

• a pinch of sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Line a 20cm square baking tin with non-stick baking paper

2. Melt the butter and chocolate together in a saucepan on a low heat

3. Whilst the chocolate and butter are melting, break the eggs into a separate bowl and whisk together with the sugar

4. Pour the chocolate and butter mix into the bowl with the eggs and sugar and gently fold together, then add the flour and cocoa powder

5. Add any additional ingredients, such as choclolate chips or nuts and combine

6. Bake at 140 degrees C fan for approximately 1 hour

7. Once baked remove from oven and allow to cool

NOTES

Drizzle liberally with melted chocolate and sprinkle with sea salt to serve