Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients

185g unsalted butter 185g best dark chocolate 85g plain flour 40g cocoa powder 50g white chocolate 50g milk chocolate 3 large eggs 2 5g golden caster sugar

!ethod

Cut 185g unsalted butter into smallish cubes and tip into a medium bowl" Break 185g best dark chocolate into small pieces and drop into the bowl" #ill a small saucepan about a $uarter full with hot water% then sit the bowl on top so it rests on the rim of the pan% not touching the water" &ut o'er a low heat until the butter and chocolate ha'e melted% stirring occasionall( to mi) them" *ow remo'e the bowl from the pan" +lternati'el(% co'er the bowl loosel( with cling film and put in the microwa'e for 2 minutes on ,igh" -ea'e the melted mi)ture to cool to room temperature" .hile (ou wait for the chocolate to cool% position a shelf in the middle of (our o'en and turn the o'en on to fan 1/0C0con'entional 180C0gas 4 1most o'ens take 10215 minutes to heat up3" 4sing a shallow 20cm s$uare tin% cut out a s$uare of non2stick baking parchment to line the base" *ow tip 85g plain flour and 40g cocoa powder into a sie'e held o'er a medium bowl% and tap and shake the sie'e so the( run through together and (ou get rid of an(

lumps" .ith a large sharp knife% chop 50g white chocolate and 50g milk chocolate into chunks on a board" 5he slabs of chocolate will be $uite hard% so the safest wa( to do this is to hold the knife o'er the chocolate and press the tip down on the board% then bring the rest of the blade down across the chocolate" 6eep on doing this% mo'ing the knife across the chocolate to chop it into pieces% then turn the board round 70 degrees and again work across the chocolate so (ou end up with rough s$uares" Break 3 large eggs into a large bowl and tip in 2 5g golden caster sugar" .ith an electric mi)er on ma)imum speed% whisk the eggs and sugar until the( look thick and cream(% like a milk shake" 5his can take 328 minutes% depending on how powerful (our mi)er is% so don8t lose heart" 9ou8ll know it8s read( when the mi)ture becomes reall( pale and about double its original 'olume" +nother check is to turn off the mi)er% lift out the beaters and wiggle them from side to side" If the mi)ture that runs off the beaters lea'es a trail on the surface of the mi)ture in the bowl for a second or two% (ou8re there" &our the cooled chocolate mi)ture o'er the egg( mousse% then gentl( fold together with a rubber spatula" &lunge the spatula in at one side% take it underneath and bring it up the opposite side and in again at the middle" Continue going under and o'er in a figure of eight% mo'ing the bowl round after each folding so (ou can get at it from all sides% until the two mi)tures are one and the colour is a mottled dark brown" 5he idea is to marr( them without knocking out the air% so be as gentle and slow as (ou like : (ou don8t want to undo all the work (ou did in step 4" ,old the sie'e o'er the bowl of egg( chocolate mi)ture and resift the cocoa and flour mi)ture% shaking the sie'e from side to side% to co'er the top e'enl(" ;entl( fold in this powder using the same figure of eight action as before" 5he mi)ture will look dr( and dust( at first% and a bit unpromising% but if (ou keep going 'er( gentl( and patientl(% it will end up looking gung( and fudg(" <top =ust before (ou feel (ou should% as (ou don8t want to o'erdo this mi)ing" #inall(% stir in the white and milk chocolate chunks until the(8re dotted throughout" *ow (our mi)ing is done and the o'en can take o'er" &our the mi)ture into the prepared tin% scraping e'er( bit out of the bowl with the spatula" ;entl( ease the mi)ture into the corners of the tin and paddle the spatula from side to side across the top to le'el it" &ut in the o'en and set (our timer for 25 minutes" .hen the bu>>er goes% open the o'en% pull the shelf out a bit and gentl( shake the tin" If the brownie wobbles in the middle% it8s not $uite done% so slide it back in and bake for another 5 minutes until the top has a shin(% paper( crust and the sides are =ust beginning to come awa( from the tin" 5ake out of the o'en"

-ea'e the whole thing in the tin until completel( cold% then% if (ou8re using the brownie tin% lift up the protruding rim slightl( and slide the uncut brownie out on its base" If (ou8re using a normal tin% lift out the brownie with the foil" Cut into $uarters% then cut each $uarter into four s$uares and finall( into triangles" 5hese brownies are so addicti'e (ou8ll want to make a second batch before the first is finished% but if (ou want to make some to hide awa( for a special occasion% it8s useful to know that the(8ll keep in an airtight container for a good two weeks and in the free>er for up to a month"