The Best Chocolate Brownies in the World Ever!

Preparation: 20mins
Cooking: ~40mins
Makes: a big plateful
Serves: the people who get to them first
Last: usually not very long

I've been using this recipe for over ten years and have a number of helpful hints:

• Use very good quality plain chocolate, aiming for above 50% cocoa solids, but ideally 70%, and FairTrade! The Co-op are good for this: you'll probably also get FairTrade sugar and vanilla stuff there...
• I tend to only use 100g of walnuts, as that's how big the packs of are. Also, don't bother buying walnut halves, get the walnut pieces, which are much cheaper and save a lot of chopping!
• Do experiment with chilli - it sounds weird, but is an amazing combination taste sensation! I tend to make a double batch and do just under half with chilli, stirring it into the mix right at the end, after I've put the non-chilli half in the baking tin
• You can also add extra white chocolate as chunks, should you wish
• It is REALLY REALLY REALLY important that you don't overcook them - if in doubt, cook less (the choc will solidify on cooling); you'll get the feel of it, but even after nearly 10 years of doing it, I still mess them up every now and then - it's more tricky for double or triple batches...

  Ingredients

  • 550g (1¼lb) plain chocolate
  • 225g (8oz) butter
  • 3 eggs
  • 30ml (2 tbsp) freshly made strong coffee (or mix ~1tsp instant coffee with cold water)
  • 225g (8oz) caster sugar
  • 75g (3oz) self-raising flour
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ~175g chopped walnuts (see note above)
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence
  • [optional] 1 chopped red chilli, seeds and all (or more, to taste)

  Method

  1. Grease and line a baking tin. Mine is 9"x12" and that works fine, but you'll need to experiment
  2. Chop 225g (8oz) of chocolate and set aside
  3. Melt the remaining chocolate with the butter in a bowl over water or (easier) in the microwave on a VERY LOW HEAT, stirring regularly, else the chocolate will burn. Allow to cool slightly
  4. Mix the eggs, coffee and sugar until smooth and gradually beat in the choc/butter mixture
  5. Fold in the flour, salt, walnuts, vanilla essence and chopped chocolate (and chilli, if using). I tend to do the flour first, else the walnuts just get coated in flour rather than it all being well-combined
  6. Pour mix into the tin and bake at 190°C (375°F) for 40-45mins or until the top is just firm; obviously less for a fan oven. (see notes above!)
  7. Cool in the tray and then lift out using the paper and cut into squares on a chopping board. You may need to trim some of the edges off if they go crispy

  Adapted from Good Housekeeping New Step-By-Step Cook Book (1993), following years of careful tweaking!