Seriously Good Chocolate Brownies

These have served me well as a plate for many years. They are a very popular favourite amongst friends and work colleagues and are often requested. So easy to mix all in one bowl and so delicious. I prefer them warm and soft - makes the chocolate that much better.

Ingredients:

165 grams butter

1 3/4 cups caster sugar

2/3 cup cocoa

3 large eggs

1/4 teaspoon Vanilla Essence

2/3 cup plain flour

1/3 teaspoon baking powder

Pinch salt

1 cup chocolate chips

Method:

Heat oven to 150 degrees celcius and line a sponge roll tin.
Melt butter completely and mix in cocoa.
Add sugar, eggs and vanilla.
Mix until colour lightens slightly (only a couple of minutes).
Add sifted dry ingredients (I just dump them in the bowl and mix).
Finally add chocolate chips and mix until just combined and pour into prepared tin.
Bake until brownie has cracked slightly around the edges but is soft to touch. (it will rise whilst baking and then settle back down - it is nearly ready once it has risen). 
Cooking time depends on your oven and method of cooking. Usually around 20 - 30 minutes. Can take longer for ovens that are not fan forced. Original recipe said an hour but I have never had to cook it for that long before it is cooked through. I suggest after 20 minutes oven watch until you see it rise and collapse back and then just keep checking it until it is cooked.
Cool in tin then dust with icing sugar before cutting.


Even more yummy served warm with raspberry sauce / coulis and a little cream or ice cream.

I had a friend make this and it never seemed to set for them, after they finally took it out of the oven it went rock hard fairly quickly - I have discovered that this brownie likes its privacy and does not like being checked a lot, it needs the oven door to be kept closed throughout its cooking. Use the light to check it as opposed to opening the door or wait for 20 minutes cooking then check it as it will not need much longer than that. (I discovered this whilst trying to cook brownies for a barbecue as well as potatoes and keeping meat warm, lots of oven door opening - not advisable!! Just cook the brownies - who needs potatos and meat anyway?!) 

Also if you over cook it it does go very hard by the next day (I have once trimmed the hard crust edge off when my children distracted me (or was it the internet - mmm) and I over cooked it - the rest was beautiful - just not the edge!)