Of all chocolate cakes, brownies give the most satisfying chocolate hit with the least effort, and for something so simple to make and eat, they bring out surprisingly strong feelings in people. Everyone has their own favourite texture and expectations, and the brownie recipe does not exist that will please universally. They come cake-like, fudgy and in-between. Baking powder is sometimes used – a practice abhorred by purists. Whisking the eggs as far as the ribbon stage is done by some, but frowned upon by others because it will give a lighter texture. The most a recipe writer can hope for is to convey what potential bakers can expect as far as flavour and texture go and trust that they will be tempted to choose and try something that will suit them. Bear in mind that these brownies vary as to composition, thickness and texture.
The tin used for these recipes measures 20 × 20 cm/8 × 8 in at the base, widening slightly to 22 × 22 cm/8½ × 8½ in at the top. If you use a larger tin, your brownies will be flatter and less moist than intended.
The recipes that include wetter or more delicate ingredients all require the tin to be generously lined with baking parchment, so that the entire brownie can be lifted out. Leave to cool and set sufficiently before lifting it out or it may break. When the tin is lined only on the base, the brownie can be inverted after a few minutes, using an upturned wire rack placed over the tin.
As it is such an important ingredient, and there is so much of it, choose your chocolate wisely. I use dark chocolate with around 55% cocoa solids and a fairly high percentage of cocoa butter for these recipes. Going up to 70% or so is fine, but resist the temptation to substitute a really dark ‘speciality’ chocolate with an absurdly high cocoa percentage. You may end up with a drier brownie that falls short of being sweet enough.
Many of the recipes contain rum or liqueurs. It dissipates during baking, leaving flavour without any significant alcohol value. However, if you prefer not to use it, replace it with the same amount of water, but add it to the batter, not the chocolate.
Whisk the eggs with the sugar for a few minutes until the sugar dissolves and the mixture thickens and lightens in colour. Note that this is long before the ribbon stage. If you continue to whisk it to a thick ribbon, your brownie will have a lighter and airier texture and will not be as dense as it might have been.
The exact baking time depends on your oven, the type of heat and of course the actual temperature. In general, I find the difference between a conventional electric oven and a fan-assisted one negligible. However, in the case of brownies, where the texture is a large part of the finished product, you need to be more precise. A conventional oven may need a few minutes extra to produce the same consistency that a fan-assisted oven will reach a little earlier. Note that these brownies are baked at 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3, which means that they cook more gently for a little longer. The recipe timings are merely a guideline so always start testing early enough.
Always test about 5 cm/2 in from the edge, not in the centre. If you wait until the centre sets before removing it from the oven, the rest will be dry. However, the skewer should come out with a few moist crumbs, not uncooked batter. The brownie will continue to set as it cools.
A 20 × 20-cm/8 × 8-in brownie will cut into 16 satisfying squares. If you allow the brownie to cool completely, you will be able to cut neatly. Cutting into a still warm brownie gives ragged and crumbling edges. I generally cut as needed, keeping the rest well wrapped in clingfilm.
Brownies will keep for a few days at cool room temperature, but can also be suitably packed and frozen. I like to cut an entire brownie into quarters for freezing, wrapping the unneeded pieces well in clingfilm before putting them in a plastic box or sturdy freezer bag. If you portion the brownie before freezing, it will dry out faster.
Some brownie lovers enjoy eating a chilled product. This works best with very gooey brownies and is not my thing. My personal preference is to eat them slightly warm, so that the butter and chocolate are already soft when you take a bite, and the whole flavour just flows smoothly on to your tongue. A few seconds per portion in the microwave will be enough. A simple but attractive way to present the brownies is to use cupcake papers, plain or coloured. If you are serving a few kinds at once, you can use different papers to distinguish them.
I think that walnuts and brownie go well together, but accept that not everyone shares my opinion. My son, for instance, finds them a distraction if not a downright hindrance, serving as an obstacle to the enjoyment of a mouthful of pure chocolate bliss. The choice is yours. It might also be useful to note that this recipe is a little sweeter and more fudgy than the others in this chapter.
Makes 16
175 g/6 oz/scantT ¾ cup butter, cubed, plus extra for greasing
150 g/5½ oz/generous 1 cup plain flour, plus extra for dusting
200 g/7 oz/7 squares dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1 tbsp rum
¼ tsp salt
¾ tsp baking powder
225 g/8 oz/1⅛ cups caster sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
50–75 g/1¾–2½ oz/½–¾ cup walnuts, coarsely chopped or broken (optional)
Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Grease a 20-cm/8-in square tin, line the base with baking parchment and dust with flour.
Put the chocolate and butter in a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water and leave to melt, stirring from time to time. Remove from the heat and stir in the rum. Set aside to cool a little.
Sift the flour with the salt and baking powder and set aside.
Whisk the sugar, eggs and vanilla together until thick and pale. Stir in the melted chocolate, followed by the flour mixture, and nuts, if using. Mix gently but thoroughly, making sure that there is not a pool of chocolate at the bottom of the bowl.
Transfer the batter to the tin, level the top and bake for about 25 minutes. A skewer inserted about 5 cm/2 in from an edge should come out clean or with moist crumbs, not wet batter. Do not overbake. Leave the brownie to cool in the tin for about 5 minutes before transferring it carefully to a wire rack to cool completely.
Serve in squares.
The combination of chocolate and cocoa make these brownies dense and intensely chocolatey, with a slightly cake-like texture. Serving them slightly warm will bring out the flavour even better.
Makes 16
200 g/7 oz/scant 1 cup butter, cubed, plus extra for greasing
150 g/5½ oz/generous 1 cup plain flour, plus extra for dusting
225 g/8 oz/8 squares dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
2 tbsp (unsweetened) cocoa powder
½ tsp baking powder
generous ¼ tsp salt
200 g/7 oz/1 cup caster sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Grease a 20-cm/8-in square tin, line the base with baking parchment and dust with flour.
Put the chocolate and butter in a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water and leave to melt, stirring from time to time. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool a little.
Sift the flour with the cocoa, baking powder and salt and set aside.
Whisk the sugar, eggs and vanilla together until thick and pale. Add the melted chocolate, followed by the flour mixture and mix gently but thoroughly. Make sure that there is not a pool of chocolate at the bottom of the bowl.
Transfer the batter to the tin, level the top and bake for about 25 minutes. The top will start to swell and crack towards the end of the baking time, but will settle again as the brownie cools. A skewer inserted about 5 cm/2 in from an edge should come out with moist crumbs, not wet batter. Do not overbake. Leave the brownie to cool in the tin for about 5 minutes before transferring it carefully to a wire rack to cool completely.
Serve in squares.
Cherry Brownies
You can enjoy this brownie any time of the year because it uses bottled cherries. Use a firm variety of cherries and discard any pieces.
Makes 16
150 g/5½ oz/scant ¾ cup butter, cubed, plus extra for greasing
200 g/7 oz/7 squares dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
2 tbsp Kirsch
1 jar pitted cherries, well drained (175 g/6 oz drained weight)
1½ tsp cornflour
175 g/6 oz/1½ cups plain flour
¾ tsp salt
1¼ tsp baking powder
175 g/6 oz/scant 1 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Grease a 20-cm/8-in square tin, then line so that the paper comes up 5 cm/2 in on 2 sides.
Put the chocolate and butter in a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water and leave to melt, stirring from time to time. Remove from the heat and stir in the Kirsch. Set aside to cool a little.
Toss the cherries with the cornflour in a small bowl and set aside.
Sift the flour with the salt and baking powder and set aside.
Whisk the sugar and eggs together until thick and pale. Mix in the melted chocolate, followed by the flour mixture. Mix gently but thoroughly, making sure that there is not a pool of chocolate at the bottom of the bowl. Carefully fold in the cherries, taking care not to mash them.
Transfer the batter to the tin, level the top and bake for 25–30 minutes. A skewer inserted about 5 cm/2 in from an edge should come out with moist crumbs, not wet batter. Do not overbake. Leave the brownie to cool in the tin for about 10–15 minutes before gripping the paper and transferring the brownie with the paper to a wire rack. Leave to cool completely.
Serve in squares.
This brownie offers the best of both worlds: cheesecake and brownie in a single mouthful.
Makes 16
125 g/4¼ oz/9 tbsp butter, cubed, plus extra for greasing
150 g/5½ oz/5½ squares dark chocolate, chopped
1 tbsp rum
115 g/4 oz/generous ¾ cup plain flour
⅛ tsp salt
¾ tsp baking powder
150 g/5½ oz/¾ cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
FOR THE CHEESECAKE TOPPING
250 g/9 oz/scant 1¼ cups cream cheese at room temperature
1 tbsp cornflour
50 g/1¾ oz/¼ cup caster sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Grease a 20 cm/8 in square tin and line so that the paper comes up 5 cm/2 in on 2 sides.
Combine all the cheesecake topping ingredients in a bowl and use a whisk to blend to a smooth, lump-free consistency, then set aside.
For the brownies, put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water and leave to melt, stirring from time to time. Remove from the heat and stir in the rum. Set aside to cool a little.
Sift the flour with the salt and baking powder and set aside.
Whisk the sugar, eggs and vanilla together until thick and pale. Mix in the melted chocolate, followed by the flour mixture. Mix gently but thoroughly.
Transfer the batter to the tin. Spoon the cheesecake mixture onto the base in about 8 or 9 blobs, leaving some space in between, so that there is still brownie batter visible. Make a few swirls with a spatula to give a lightly marbled effect, but don’t cover the base completely with the cheesecake mixture. Don’t worry about the rough surface. The cheesecake mixture will sink a little as it bakes and cools.
Bake for about 25–30 minutes. A skewer inserted about 5 cm/2 in from an edge, in a brown part, should come out with moist crumbs, not wet batter. Do not overbake. Leave to cool in the tin for about 10–15 minutes before gripping the paper and transferring the brownie with the paper to a wire rack. Leave to cool completely. Serve in squares. Store chilled, but serve at room temperature.
Small pieces of white chocolate and tart cranberries add lots of extra flavour to this brownie.
makes 16
175 g/6 oz/1½ sticks butter, cubed, plus extra for greasing
150 g/5½ oz/generous 1 cup plain flour, plus extra for dusting
200 g/7 oz/7 squares dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1 tbsp rum
¼ tsp salt
¾ tsp baking powder
200 g/7 oz/1 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
50 g/1¾ oz dried cranberries
100 g/3½ oz/generous ½ cup white chocolate chips (or a bar, chopped)
Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Grease a 20-cm/8-in square tin, line the base and dust with flour.
Put the chocolate and butter in a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water and leave to melt, stirring from time to time. Remove from the heat and stir in the rum. Set aside to cool a little.
Sift the flour with the salt and baking powder and set aside.
Whisk the sugar, eggs and vanilla together until thick and pale. Mix in the melted chocolate, followed by the flour mixture. Mix gently but thoroughly, making sure that there is not a pool of chocolate at the bottom of the bowl. Fold in the cranberries and chocolate chips.
Transfer the batter to the tin, level the top and bake for 25–30 minutes. A skewer inserted about 5 cm/2 in from an edge should come out with moist crumbs, not wet batter. Do not overbake. Leave the brownie to cool in the tin for about 5 minutes before transferring it carefully to a wire rack to cool completely.
Serve in squares.
This brownie is in the style of the chocolate and hazelnut cakes of the Piedmont region of Italy, an area renowned for its excellent hazelnuts. Although chocolate goes with just about anything, it partners particularly well with hazelnuts. Buy blanched, skinless hazelnuts and toast them yourself shortly before needed. It takes very little effort that will be richly rewarded.
Makes 16
150 G/5½ oz/scant ¾ cup butter, cubed, plus extra for greasing
200 g/7 oz/7 squares dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1 tbsp rum
100 g/3½ oz/scant ¾ cup plain flour
¼ tsp salt
¾ tsp baking powder
100 g/3½ oz/⅔ cup toasted hazelnuts, very finely ground
200 g/7 oz/1 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Grease a 20-cm/8-in square tin and line so that the paper comes up 5 cm/2 in on 2 sides.
Put the chocolate and butter in a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water and leave to melt, stirring from time to time. Remove from the heat and stir in the rum. Set aside to cool a little.
Sift the flour with the salt and baking powder, add the ground hazelnuts and set aside.
Whisk the sugar, eggs and vanilla together until thick and pale. Mix in the melted chocolate, followed by the flour and nut mixture. Mix gently but thoroughly, making sure that there is not a pool of chocolate at the bottom of the bowl.
Transfer the batter to the tin, level the top and bake for about 25–30 minutes. A skewer inserted about 5 cm/2 in from an edge should come out with moist crumbs, not wet batter. Do not overbake. Leave the brownie to cool in the tin for about 10–15 minutes before gripping the paper and transferring the brownie with the paper to a wire rack.
Serve in squares.
I use a little Grand Marnier or Triple Sec to bring out more orange flavour, but you can use any good-quality orange-based liqueur.
Makes 16
175 g/6 oz/1½ sticks butter, cubed, plus extra for greasing
150 g/5½ oz/generous 1 cup plain flour, plus extra for dusting
200 g/7 oz/7 squares dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1 tbsp Grand Marnier or Triple Sec
zest of 1 fairly large orange (preferably organic)
¼ tsp salt
¾ tsp baking powder
200 g/7 oz/1 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Grease a 20-cm/8-in square tin, line the base with baking parchment and dust with flour.
Put the chocolate and butter in a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water and leave to melt, stirring from time to time. Remove from the heat and stir in the Grand Marnier. Grate the orange zest over this mixture and set aside to cool a little.
Sift the flour with the salt and baking powder and set aside.
Whisk the sugar, eggs and vanilla together until thick and pale. Mix in the melted chocolate, followed by the flour mixture. Mix gently but thoroughly, making sure that there is not a pool of chocolate at the bottom of the bowl.
Transfer the batter to the tin and bake for about 25 minutes. A skewer inserted about 5 cm/2 in from an edge should come out with moist crumbs, not wet batter. Do not overbake. Leave the brownie to cool in the tin for about 5 minutes before transferring it carefully to a wire rack to cool completely.
Serve in squares.
