Moist Chocolate Brownies

Serves Many
You need:
200g dark chocolate, chopped
150g butter
3/4 cup of caster sugar
3 eggs
1 tspn of vanilla essence
1 cup sifted plain flour
whipped cream and fruit to garnish

Method:
Grease and line 20cm square baking tin.
Preheat oven to moderate heat (180 degrees celsius/350 degrees farenheit).
Melt chocolate, butter and caster sugar in a bowl in the microwave, or over a saucepan of simmering hot water, stirring until smooth.
Remove from heat and cool.
Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
Fold in the sifted flour.
Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 35 minutes, or until just firm on the top to touch.
Do not overcook.
Cool in the tin before removing and cutting into squares.
Can be dusted with cocoa powder.

Serving Suggestion:
Serve with whipped cream and strawberries or desired fruit.
You can add 1/2 cup of chopped pecan or walnuts to mixture with flour for nut brownies.
To make rum and raisin brownies soak 1/2 cup of raisins in 4 tblspns of rum for 10 minutes, until plump, and fold through mixture.

Preparation Time 10 - 15 minutes
Cooking Time 35 minutes
Makes 20 small or 10 large
Ingredients
Melted butter or margarine, for greasing
125g butter, chopped
200g (1 cup, firmly packed) soft brown sugar
125g dark chocolate, chopped
3 eggs
50g (1/3 cup) plain flour
35g (1/3 cup) cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
150g (1 1/4 cup) walnuts

Method
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease an 18 x 28cm cake tin with the melted butter or margarine and line the base of the pan with non-stick baking paper.
Place butter, brown sugar and chocolate in a large saucepan and stir over medium heat until well combined (see microwave tip).
Remove from heat and beat in the eggs using a wooden spoon.
Sift together the flour, cocoa and baking powder into the chocolate mixture and stir until well combined. Stir in the walnuts.
Pour into the prepared tin and bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes or until firm and until a few crumbs cling to a skewer when it's inserted into the centre.

Notes & tips
These reliable brownies are equally delicious served as a dessert, straight from the oven in larger portions with scoops of vanilla ice-cream.
For those who are not big fans of nuts this brownie recipe is just as good without the walnuts.

Microwave tip: Combine butter, sugar and chocolate in a large microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl. Heat, uncovered, for 2-4 minutes on Medium High/650 J watts/70%, stirring every minute until well combined

Made: Christmas2007