If you like chocolate – and, let’s face it, not many of us don’t! – then the chances are you love chocolate brownies too. They’re a wonderful treat and easier to make than you might think. Versatile, chocolate brownies are great for just about any occasion – as a tasty slice to accompany afternoon tea or to enhance the sweet offerings at parties.
Simple steps to make and store chocolate brownies
If you’ve never made chocolate brownies before then we have put together some simple steps to take in order to produce a sizeable batch for a party or gathering. These brownies will be perfect to eat once they have been left to cool and can be left at room temperature for around a day. If they’re kept in an airtight container this time can be increased to 2-4 days. Immediately refrigerate your brownies if they contain frosting or filling made with dairy products or eggs, such as buttercream, whipped cream or custard frostings or fillings; they will last for 3-4 days in the fridge. Any leftover brownies can be stored in the freezer, ideally wrapped in foil or bags and in a sealed container to avoid freezer burn, for approximately 3 months.
Ingredients
6oz butter
6oz chocolate
1lb sugar
Optional spices
3 eggs
6oz flour
2oz cocoa
4-6oz choc chips or other filling
2 x 7-8″ cake tins or equivalent
Step 1 – Melt chocolate and butter in a bain-marie
Break up the chocolate into pieces and cut the butter into similar sized pieces. Add to a suitably sized glass bowl and place onto a saucepan with boiling water to make a bain-marie to melt the chocolate and butter. Stir the mix as it melts.
Step 2 – Pour the mix into a bowl containing sugar and mix well
The chocolate and butter should be well mixed together now. Pour the mixture into a bowl containing the sugar (we’ve found a mix of brown and caster sugar works well!) and stir it together.
Step 3 – Mix in the eggs a little at a time
Now that you have a lovely smooth chocolate and butter mix, add the eggs a little at a time.
Step 4 – Sieve in the flour and fold into the mixture
Using a sieve, add the flour to the mixture and fold it in.
Step 5 – Sieve in the cocoa powder and mix well
Add cocoa powder, again using a sieve. Don’t be tempted to use hot chocolate powder at this point – it won’t taste as good!
Step 6 – Add chocolate chips and stir in
Add an optional filling of your choice such as chocolate chips. A mix of white and milk chocolate chips looks great and complements the brownie’s flavour.
Step 7 – Put the mixture into greased tins and level
Carefully put the brownie mixture into greased baking tins and level using a wooden spoon
Step 8 – Bake in preheated oven
Put the tins into a preheated oven (180°c) for 30-45 minutes. We recommend checking on them every 15 minutes.
Step 9 – Remove from oven and cool
Take the brownies out of the oven and remove the brownies from their tins, placing them on wire racks to cool.
