* Traditional Brownie {Hummingbird Bakery}

Finally - a traditional brownie recipe that I didn't muller first time around...

Every cook, everywhere, no matter their expertise (I'm not claiming any here, just go with the flow till I'm done )... has something that they either can't cook or aren't very good at instinctively.

For me, it used to be pastry - however... I've mentioned in other posts that I am now a pastry goddess (of at least two types of pastry... two types)... Shut up. I can hear your "Yeah. Right." sarcasm from here. I can do my own. Thankyou. Sarcasm AND pastry. In. Your. Face...

Now that I have conquered one battle, won one war (stay with me), it would seem that I have had another one on my hands. Brownies. I'm crap at 'em.

NOT ANY MORE. Bolded and underlined baby.

Okay. I've had one iddy biddy true success, but you can't take that away from me. Look at 'em. They are perfectly papery on the top and squidgily soft in the middle and it's like you've died and gone to heaven when you stuff three of them in your face all at once.

Not that I did that. Okay... I might have done that. It all happened so fast I'm not quite sure what happened - but one minute there were 12 brownies and the next... weeellllll... there were less than 10... and I was chewing on something chocolatey. Maybe.

According to my Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook - traditional brownies must be chewy, chocolatey and dense - and these were all three. I think maybe the fact that I used my conventional oven to cook them, rather than my fan oven - meant that they didn't dry out and lose that essential squidgy factor. So I'll be doing that again.

And soon.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Traditional Brownie Recipe {Hummingbird Bakery}

Makes 12

Prep time - 10 minutes
Cook time - 30 - 35 minutes
Total time - 40 - 45 minutes

You will need

33 x 23 x 5cm baking tray, lined with greaseproof paper/baking parchment - up the sides as well as the base to prevent crispy edges.

Ingredients

200g dark chocolate - roughly chopped

175g unsalted butter

325g caster sugar

130g plain flour

3 eggs

icing sugar to decorate

Method

• Preheat oven to 170c/150c fan/325f/gas 3
• Put the chocolate and butter into heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the base of the bowl touch the water). Leave until melted and smooth.
• OR - place butter and chocolate in a microwaveable bowl and nuke on half power for a minute at a time, stirring after each minute, until melted and smooth.
• Move the bowl of chocolatey butter away from any heat.
• Stir in the sugar until well incorporated.
• Add the flour and stir until well incorporated.
• Stir in the eggs and mix until thick and smooth.
• Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking tray and bake in the pre-heated oven until flaky on the top but still soft in the centre.
• Leave to cool completely before dusting with icing sugar.

EAT

NOTE: These brownies are quite slim because of the size of the pan used. I followed the recipe exactly, so if you want deep brownies it might be worth trying a smaller baking pan. Though I imagine you may have to cook them fractionally longer.

ONE YEAR AGO: Chicken and Leek Pie