Chocolate Fudge Brownies...they're all MINE! (Baking)

Member Name: StampedingTurtes

Product:	Baking
Date:	19/10/09 (240 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate!

Disadvantages: Calories Calories Calories!

These are absolutely the best chocolate fudge brownies in the world. I'm not entirely sure where this recipe came from; it's one of those ones that's written in someone else's old fashioned handwriting on an old grease spotted piece of yellowed note paper. But don't let my revolting sounding piece of paper put you off! That's how to tell if a recipe is well loved... if the paper is disgusting! I've tweaked it a little from the original.

What I love about this recipe is that it uses lots of real chocolate and butter to give the brownies that thick, rich, fudgy consistency. They are thick, heavy, rich and very sweet. Soooo bad for the waistline but once you try them you just won't care!


~*~*~ Equipment ~*~*~

20cm square cake tin
Baking paper or tin foil
Medium/large heat proof bowl
Large mixing bowl
Small mixing bowl for icing
Wooden spoons
Large pot
Metal Spoon
Spatula


~*~*~ Ingredients ~*~*~

125g butter (NOT margarine!)
185g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids minimum)
230g castor sugar
2tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs
150g plain flour
250g icing sugar (or more, depends on the texture you want!)
2 tbsp cocoa powder
20g butter


~*~*~ Method ~*~*~

These are a little bit messy but very easy.

First, oil and line the cake tin with baking paper or tin foil. Tin foil is easier to remove if you line it properly.

Slowly melt the chocolate and butter together in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. When it is melted and smooth, transfer it to a large bowl.

At this point begin to preheat the oven to gas mark 4/180oC/350oF

Stir the sugar and vanilla essence into the chocolate mixture then stir in the eggs. You should have a thick, fudgy mixture at this point.

Sift the flour into the bowl and fold it all together with a metal spoon.

Now splodge the whole lot into the cake tin and stick it in the oven for 30 minutes. Now, I usually use a slightly smaller cake tin which means the mixture is deeper, so I leave it for 35 minutes, but NO LONGER! It should be only just set when you take it out of the oven.

When you remove it from the oven leave it to cool in the tin for ten minutes before turning it out on to a wire rack. Be careful here, no one wants broken brownies!

~*~*~ the Icing ~*~*~

Sift the icing sugar and cocoa powder into a bowl and make a little well in the centre.

Cut the butter into pieces and put it all into the well, then pour over about 2 tablespoons of hot water.

Mix this together with a spoon. It might not seem like it's going to mix but it will.

You can really make the icing up according to taste, I like very thick icing, some people like quite thin icing, it's up to you. I really just add little bits of extra icing sugar, cocoa powder or butter or water until I have the consistency I would like. (thick, a spoon will stand in it!)

The only problem is that if you make the icing too thick it becomes a little dry and doesn't want to stick to the brownies.

I have actually been able to lift it back off of the brownie base in one sheet and put it back in the bowl! Fear not! About 4 drops of water is all that is needed to soften it up.

Put the icing on to the cooked brownie. It's best to put most of the icing on the centre of the brownie base and spread it out the way. Keep a little back in the bowl just for evening up and inconsistencies.

Next is the messy part... cut the brownies into squares. I usually cut it into 32 little squares because it is so rich that a little one is all any sane person should ever eat in one sitting.

But it's up to you, if you want to give someone a chocolate brownie overdose, that's your business!

Summary: The most indulgently luxurious chocolate brownies in the world!