Recipes

Makes enough to last about 10 minutes 😀

8 eggs

500g butter

600g muscovado sugar

500g milk chocolate callets

500g white chocolate callets

150g Cocoa

150g cake flour

125g pecan nuts, roughly chopped (optional)

My youngest almost-four-year-old twin was hiding in the corner at the Tupperware cupboard yesterday morning (straight after breakfast), her mouth smothered in chocolate – not suspicious at all. She had stolen two chocolate brownies from the freezer, taken a bite and was trying to pack the rest in a lunchbox for school! Can this recipe get a better testimonial than this?! They are actually THE BEST BROWNIES I HAVE EVER EATEN. And let’s face it, brownies can get you so excited and suddenly bring you to tears when the first bite is either too dry or too gooey with no crust and chunky bits. You know what I’m talking about! I borrowed this recipe from my #culinarydiva friend, Alida, who in turn borrowed it from a guy who owns a deli in the Midlands. I made a few upgrades along the way: I use either Lindt Couverture Surfin Piccoli 52% Cocoa or Callibaut 33,6% milk callets for the milk chocolate and Lindt Couverture White Piccoli 36% for the white chocolate. Yes, it’s expensive, but trust me it’s worth it. The store-bought run-of-the-mill chocolate doesn’t melt properly. I quadrupled my last batch (at one stage it looked like a chocolate CSI crime scene in my kitchen!) to make sure I had a decent-sized batch in the freezer (don’t do this, the batter is too big for any normal kitchen equipment!). Make sure that you cut them with no-one around to you get all the off-cuts, because they are so more-ish that they will disappear in no time! Enough said: let’s bake!

1. Preheat the oven to 160ºC. Line a 33cm x 23cm baking tray with grease proof paper. You can play with the size of the banking tray depending on how thick you want your brownies.
2. Beat the eggs, sugar and butter until the mixture is creamy. Don’t rush this step; it takes a bit of time.
3. Sift the flour and cocoa and add to the egg mixture.
4. Chop the white chocolate into small pieces (if you’re using callets, this is obviously not necessary) and add to the batter. Melt the milk chocolate and add to the batter. Stir well until completely mixed through.
5. Add the nuts, if using, and stir through.
6. Pour the brownie mixture into the lined baking tray and lick the bowl (you know you want to!).
7. Bake at 160ºC for 45 minutes. It needs to form a crust on top. Don’t overbake (or underbake either!).
8. Leave in the fridge to cool and harden overnight.
9. Cut the edges off the next day and cut into small squares, about 2,5cm x 2,5cm. Dust with icing sugar, stack, and serve. They are also delicious straight from the freezer.