Double Chocolate Brownies (with peanut butter cups)

I am known for my brownies, it’s my signature dish! I make them for lunch boxes, morning tea treat, dessert, for pot lucks, to give away and to simply eat and enjoy. They are surprisingly easy and take the same effort as a box BUT are homemade from scratch! This is the thing I miss eating the most due to my egg allergy. Brownies are best at room temp. not hot.

Brownies are great plain (just chocolate) or with adding a variety of mix ins to boost the flavour. These brownies I added peanut butter cups, we had friends over for dinner and I knew they were peanut butter fans. You are only limited by your imagination as to what you can add to the top of your unbaked Brownies. Two of my other favourites are: Cadbury’s Cherry Ripe and Nabisco’s Oreo style cookies.

Always grease and line your baking tray and let your cooked brownies cool (until completely cold) in the tray. Pre-heat your oven to as hot as it will go. I turn on the oven after I prepare my tray. This recipe should give you 20 Brownie slices to enjoy (or share). Brownies if kept in a Tupperware style container, should last up to 3 days.

Recipe:

1/2 cup butter - at room temprature - not cold!
2 cups white sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 cup chocolate chips - not compound chocolate.
1 1/2 cups your choice of extra mix ins (I used peanut butter cups)

Grease and line an 18 x 28 cm “Sheet style” cake tin. Pre-heat your oven to as hot as it will go.
In a large bowl beat the butter until fluffy.
Add the sugar and beat - it will be grainy, that’s right.
Add the eggs and vanilla. Beat until thoroughly incorporated (about 2 -3 minutes) it will not be smooth due to the sugar, that will still be grainy.
Add the flour and cocoa, beat again (yes beat it). You want the batter well mixed.
Do not add any mix ins to the batter (yes you read that right - no chocolate chips in the batter)
Pour the batter into your prepared tin, carefully smooth the batter to all the corners (be careful not to shift the baking paper)
Pop the tray in to your hot oven, and turn down to 180oC (375oF) for 31 - 34 minutes.
Brownies are one of the few items that when tested with a toothpick should have some moist pieces stuck on it (it continues to “cook” in the tin)
Place on an air rack and leave to go completely cold.
Use the paper to pull the brownie (one large brownie)
Slice as desired and enjoy!

Happy cooking
Elizabeth x