Brownies
I’m a stickler for simplistic traditional baking. And I mean this in the sense that I like to avoid recipes that ask for too many ingredients or recipes where the instructions send you on a culinary marathon. Baking is a labour of love, but it certainly should never feel like labour. And while I know that a brownie is of course one of the most basic sweets that you can make, upon biting into this brownie you will feel like its signature texture and depth of flavour certainly does not match its all assuming reputation of being so simple. Its consistency? it can be likened to fudge. Its flavour? the richest chocolate dessert pudding.
I first came across the original version of this recipe whilst working in a tearooms. This was my second job in the hospitality industry. And at the age of 21, working as a waitress, I remember being so consumed with the romanticism of a cake shop. The flow of service seeming so fast that you could almost stop frozen in your tracks and watch it all happening as if in ‘fast forward’ mode. The adrenaline was contagious, drifting between each staff member in a kind of ‘tag team’ formation. It was a vibe, all of its own, witnessed only by those working amongst it. In regard to the brownie, it was served with the option of being heated and the addition of thick double cream on the side. The cream would arrive at the table in a tiny dish never big enough to house the generous dollop given.
My lifestyle is very different now and so I no longer work in this space. However, I will always have that devotion to organised chaos.
As for brownies, I’ve made all sorts, some dry, some I liken to undercooked pudding, some so hyper loaded with ingredients that they should be categorized as a type of baked ‘rocky road’, and some which can only be described as under-whelming (think of biting into a piece of cardboard and then sarcastically roll your eyes). Truth be told, there isn’t another brownie recipe that I have made more times than this one. It’s my ‘go to’….at least for now, but remember like life, baking is ever evolving. And so, it should be.
Full disclosure: I know that some brownies are supposed to be ‘cakey’. But let’s just not talk about that right now.
Makes - as many or as little as you like, I cut these into 16.
Ingredients
150g milk chocolate
100g dark chocolate
250g unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups caster sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 cup plain flour
Method
Preheat oven to 170 degrees C.
Combine both chocolates and butter into a heat proof bowl and melt until smooth in consistency. This can be done either in a microwave or on the stove top. If using a microwave, zap in 30 second intervals and stir in between. If using a double boiler on a stove top, stir every so often, making sure to keep an eye on the stove. Once the ingredients are melted and combined, set aside to cool to room temperature.
Grease a slice tin, approximately 32cm x 22cm.
In a large bowl, combine both sugars. Brown sugar can be lumpy, so using your finger tips, rub in the lumps of sugar until there are no more.
Crack eggs into a medium bowl or jug and whisk until combined, making sure to break all the egg yoks. Add vanilla extract, mix and set aside.
Measure out your flour and set aside.
Once the chocolate mix has cooled, pour it into the sugar mix and using a whisk, mix until thoroughly combined.
At this stage you will need to add the eggs, all in one go. If your chocolate mix is still warm, you will need to work very fast to combine these ingredients to avoid the eggs from cooking. If the eggs cook in the mix, you will have bits of cooked egg in your brownie, leading it to be - not quite so indulgent.
Add the flour in two batches, whisking in between. Mix until all flour is absorbed, making sure to scrape the bowl right down to the bottom and around the sides several times.
Pour mixture into prepared slice tin and place into the oven for approximately 45 minutes. The brownie is done when the top feels firm around the edges but still slightly soft in the middle.
Storage
Store in an airtight container for up to five days. These are also easily freezable.
The essentials
Recipe inspiration sourced from
Original recipe version - from a friend, origin unknown.
