The Best Chocolate Brownies
One of our favourite desserts here at Birchwood House is this deliciously creamy lemon posset. Another classic sweet treat we love are these melt-in-your-mouth brownies, which have the perfect mix of a warm, gooey centre and crispy top. They’re a delight year-round, but our residents particularly enjoy them alongside a warming cup of tea in the winter months.
Ingredients
- 185g unsalted butter
- 85g plain flour
- 40g cocoa powder
- 185g dark chocolate
- 50g milk chocolate
- 50g white chocolate
- 275g golden caster sugar
- 3 large eggs
Method
- Chop the butter into small cubes and break the dark chocolate into small pieces, then tip into a medium-sized bowl.
- Bring a small saucepan about a quarter full of water to boil, then sit the bowl on top so it rests on the rim of the pan, not touching the water. This creates a bain-marie and allows the mixture to melt smoothly. Stir the butter and chocolate occasionally until combined, then remove the bowl from the pan. Alternatively, cover the bowl loosely with cling film and put in the microwave for 2 minutes on high.
- While you wait for the chocolate to cool, preheat your oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
- Using a shallow 20cm square tin, cut out a square of kitchen foil or non-stick baking parchment to line the base. Sift the plain flour and cocoa powder into a sieve over a fresh medium bowl.
- Chop the white chocolate and milk chocolate into chunks. Break the eggs into a large bowl and add the golden caster sugar. With an electric mixer on maximum speed, whisk the eggs and sugar. They should look thick and creamy. This can take 3-8 minutes, depending on how powerful your mixer is. You’ll know it’s ready when the mixture becomes really pale and about double its original volume. Another way to check is to turn off the mixer, lift out the beaters and wiggle them from side to side. If the mixture that runs off the beaters leaves a trail on the surface of the mixture in the bowl for a second or two, you’re there.
- Pour the cooled chocolate mixture over the eggy mousse, then gently fold together with a spatula. Continue going under and over in a figure of eight, moving the bowl round after each folding so you can get at it from all sides until the two mixtures are one and the mixture is a dark brown. The idea is to marry both mixtures together without knocking out the air, so be as gentle and slow as you like.
- Finally, stir in the white and milk chocolate chunks until they’re dotted throughout.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, scraping every bit out of the bowl with the spatula. Gently ease the mixture into the corners of the tin and paddle the spatula from side to side across the top to level it.
- Bake for 25 mins. Open the oven, pull the shelf out a bit and gently shake the tin. If the brownie wobbles in the middle, it’s not quite done, so slide it back in and bake for another 5 minutes until the top has a shiny, papery crust and the sides are just beginning to come away from the tin.
- Once cooked, remove the dish from the oven and leave to cool, then cut as desired and enjoy!
