These aren't the most sophisticated of chocolate brownies, but they definitely serve as a springboard for many a variation - and they're so easy! You'll need a lamington tray or two slice tins, or any variation on this - obviously, the smaller the tin, the thicker the brownie. I didn't have sour cream - and couldn't be bothered going to get any either - so substituted it with natural yoghurt. You could also use butter milk, just use a tiny bit less and add a little extra melted butter to it.
Chocolate Brownies (about 24 pieces in a lamington tin)
150g butter, chopped
300g dark chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup macadamia nuts
Simple ingredients for a tasty treat! |
2. Stir butter and chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat until smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl.
3. Stir in sugar and eggs, then flour, sour cream and nuts. Spread mixture into prepared pan. (Warning: The mixture is incredibly addictive. Licking the spoon will result in a tongue-in-bowl reflex).
4. Bake, uncovered, for about 30 minutes. Cool completely in the pan then cut into pieces.
Yummy, gooey brownie batter |
A cooling brownie |
- Don't over cook them. The top hardens slightly on cooling so this is not needed when checking if the brownies are cooked - you want a firm but moist brownie.
- Always cool your brownies in the pan. This will ensure a slightly chewy texture, rather than a crumbly one.
This is a really easy recipe to modify and there are so many variations you could use: substitute the dark chocolate for white to make 'blondies', use different nuts (hazelnuts, pistachios or walnuts all work well), add chocolate chips (white, milk, dark) for an extra hit of chocolate, add fresh or frozen raspberries for a hint of tartness, the list goes on.
After making the brownies, I was feeling a bit excited and wanted to see what else I could come up with. I had the ingredients for a slice I've been wanting to try for ages now (which also happens to be super simple!), so I got on to making a caramel ginger slice.
Caramel Ginger Slice
250g gingernut biscuits, crushed
1/2 cup dessicated coconut
1/2 cup chopped crystallised ginger
3/4 cup caramel Top'n'Fill
1 cup dark chocolate melts (I used chips)
1. Line a 20cm slice tin with baking paper.
2. Combine biscuits, coconut and ginger in a bowl.
3. Place Top'n'Fill and melts into a saucepan and cook over a low heat until melted.
4. Pour caramel mixture into dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Press into prepared pan and refrigerate until set. Drizzle with additional white or dark chocolate, if desired, then cut into slices.
If this mixture is a little too dry, add a little melted butter to help it along. |
Ready for refrigeration |
Enjoy!
Love it Laura, I'm telling people all about your blog, it's good ��
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