How to make the perfect Brownies!
This article first appeared on Food24’s website.
How to make the perfect brownies
Of all the recipes in my arsenal, this is by FAR the most requested. And lucky you, because this is going to change your life. Well maybe just a little bit, you can thank me later!
Getting the perfect texture
The perfect brownie, is fudgy in texture. Brownies do not contain enough flour to get fully cooked through like a cake (a knife will never come away clean) and as a result a common mistake is to overcook the brownie mix resulting in a dry crumbly brownie.
Added cocoa is a no-no
Many recipes include cocoa powder, but this is a mistake too (in my opinion). If you use a dark chocolate in the preparation of the mixture additional cocoa is unnecessary and can make the brownies powdery and a little bitter.
The simplicity is the selling point
The best thing about brownies is that even my five-year-old can make them (well sort of… if you don’t mind a fair bit of double dipping). The basic mixture is as simple as melting the things that need to be melted and mixing it all together. And voila!
The chocolate
This recipe is heavy on the chocolate which can make it a bit pricey. You can use any chocolate that takes your fancy; I usually use a better quality baking chocolate, much less expensive than supermarket chocolate and once melted with the butter it is just as delicious!
Gluten free
Because the recipe is low in flour it lends itself to a gluten free version. Simply replace the self-raising flour with gluten free self-raising flour and Bob’s your uncle!
Variations
I mostly make the straight and narrow version (pecan nuts and dark chocolate chips), but you can add pretty much anything that you like. Some of my more inspired additions are: white chocolate chips, speckled eggs, mini marshmallows, cornflakes, crushed cookies and jelly beans. Actually, not sure about the jelly beans being inspired, come to think of it.
Nuts!
You can also go nuts with nuts. Pecans are the standard, but hazelnuts are lovely (toast them beforehand and rub off the skins in a tea towel), as is pistachio and white chocolate chip, flaked almonds give it a bit of crunch and walnuts have a good amount of bitterness to offset the sweet chocolate.
Cooking time and temperature
They cook at a low temperature and for quite a while. Set your oven to 150°C and bake until the top doesn’t wobble when you shake the tin. Remember to place a tray below, as they occasionally bubble over the sides of your baking tray.
Cooling and cutting
To get perfect squares, leave them to cool completely before you cut them. By which, I mean, leave them overnight… if you can hold off that long.
Storing
Brownies keep extremely well, about 2 weeks in an air tight container or 3 months if frozen.
Julie’s Killer Brownies
Ingredients
- 250 g butter
- 350 g dark chocolate
- 10 ml vanilla essence
- 10 ml coffee powder
- 3 eggs
- 225 g castor sugar
- 75 g self raising flour
- 150 g chocolate chips
- 175 g pecan nuts
Instructions
- Butter and flour a 23cm square cake tin.
- Preheat the oven to 150°C.
- In a glass or ceramic bowl mix the butter, chocolate, vanilla and coffee. Heat this in the microwave until melted. Set aside to cool slightly.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and castor sugar together. Fold in the self raising flour.
- To this mixture add the melted chocolate and butter, and mix well. Then fold in the chocolate chips and pecan nuts.
- Pour all this into the baking tin and bang a few times on the counter top to dislodge any large air bubbles.
- Bake in a slow oven for about 40 minutes. The mixture should have a defined crust on top and should not be wobbly, but it will still be slightly soft to the touch and a skewer will NOT come out clean.
- Remove from the oven and leave until completely cold (preferably over night) before cutting. Cut into squares and store in an airtight container.