Blissful Brownies.

After trialling many different chocolate brownie recipes over the years, I have finally found one that satisfies the necessary criteria for chocolate perfection. The perfect brownie is recognized by a light brown, flaky exterior and most importantly by the dark and dense chocolatey-ness that is concealed beneath. In my mind, chewy and squidgy brownies are always superior (none of this dry, crumbly, fraudulent chocolate flavoured sponge posing as brownies – that will never do).

The recipe that I have recently been raving about comes from ‘the hummingbird bakery cookbook’ – a firm favourite of mine when it comes to baking and sweet treats. The method itself is surprisingly easy, yet satisfying at the same time. You will end up with a thick and voluptuous mixture – just try not to eat all of it in its uncooked form, I promise it will taste even better when baked! Use good quality dark chocolate to get the best results.

Traditional brownie

Ingredients

200g dark chocolate, roughly chopped

175g unsalted butter

325g caster sugar

130g plain flour

3 eggs (free range, naturally)

Icing sugar, to decorate

A 33 x 23 x 5-cm baking tray, lined with greaseproof paper

Makes about 12 portions

Preheat the oven to 170˚C (325˚F) Gas 3.

Put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the base of the bowl touch the water). Leave until melted and smooth.

Remove from the heat. Add the sugar and stir until well incorporated.

Finally, stir in the eggs one by one, until thick and smooth.

Carefully pour the mixture into the prepared baking tray and bake in the preheated oven for about 30-35 minutes, or until flaky on the top but still soft in the centre. Be careful not to overcook otherwise the edges will become hard and crunchy. Leave to cool completely before dusting with icing sugar, to decorate.

The brownies had a perfectly dense and chewy interior while at the same time retaining a crisp, flaky top. Previous trials have highlighted the importance of timing; if you go a few minutes over time, the edges will go hard as mentioned in the recipe. To avoid this, keep an eye on the oven – once they have been cooked to perfection, the top will be flaky with a few tectonic cracks revealing the soft, molten centre. Bear in mind that the brownie will firm up further once cool, increasing the chewiness. I like to cut my brownies into small and perfectly formed squares for a divine chocolate mouthful - these critters are so rich, you probably wouldn’t be able to manage much more.

On this particular batch I chopped up some left over chocolate, sprinkling it on the top of the mix before baking. You could also experiment by adding different nuts (pecans and walnuts work well). My favourite brownie is achieved by mixing in white chocolate chips before cooking. Chocolate perfection.

Now, where’s the gym?