Chocolate brownies

These decadent chocolate brownies have a wonderfully crisp crust, and a deliciously fudgey middle. With very few ingredients they are quick and easy to make, but make for a very impressive dessert - serve them warm with ice cream and, if you're feeling really indulgent, a thick chocolate sauce.

Makes enough to fill a 10inx7.5in pan (roughly 20 brownies)

Gather your equipment

Essential equipment:  Lined baking tin, scales, mixing bowl, cup/glass, fork, mixing spoon

Optional equipment: Sieve, spatula

Gather your ingredients

For this recipe you'll need: 100g dark chocolate, 100g butter, 200g caster sugar, 160g self-raising flour, 2 small eggs

Optional: 50g chopped walnuts/chocolate chips, grated chocolate (for topping)

• In this recipe I just grated 25g of dark chocolate to spread on top. You could use more, or top with chocolate chips instead.

Prepare to bake

Preheat your oven to 180°C, line your baking tin if you haven’t already, and beat the eggs in a small glass or cup.

Mix flour and sugar

Weigh your flour and sugar in the same bowl – use a sieve if you have one. Stir well, and make sure there are no remaining lumps of sugar or flour.

Melt chocolate and butter

Weigh your butter and chocolate into a microwave-proof bowl. Microwave in short 30-second bursts, stirring each time, until everything is melted together and smooth.

Stir in flour, sugar and eggs

Add the flour/sugar mixture and the beaten eggs at the same time, then stir until everything is just combined – do not over mix.

Bake for 25-30 minutes

Using a spatula if you have one, pour the brownie mix into your prepared tin, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. If you prefer ‘spongey’ brownies to ‘fudgey’ ones, you can bake for a little longer.

Optional: cover with melted chocolate

These brownies taste great with a thin layer of chocolate on the top. To get a really thin layer, pour some grated chocolate all over the brownies immediately after taking them out of the oven, then spread slightly as it melts. Alternately, you can just melt some chocolate and pour over the brownies.

Leave to cool, then cut into pieces

Allow the brownie tin to cool for at least one hour before cutting into slices – otherwise they will be a little TOO gooey to cut properly. Leave the brownies on a wire rack to cool completely.

And here they are in all their glory...

Chocolate brownies: - fills a 10x7.5 inch pan 100g dark chocolate 100g butter/margarine 200g caster sugar 160g self-raising flour 2 small eggs, beaten Preheat oven to 180°C Melt together the chocolate and butter in the microwave, in short 30-second bursts Add the sugar, flour and eggs, then mix until smooth (do not overmix) Pour into a lined tin and bake for 25 to 30 minutes Leave to cool for at least an hour before slicing