Super Chocolately Brownies

Hello hello!  Lovely and sunny here in Kent today, sunny and fresh and very autumnal, just the way I like it.  I've been doing a bit of blog maintenance at last, I stole my mum's lovely fresh, new, working laptop and have at last been able to get some stuff done without waiting 20 minutes for each page to load.  So if you look above *points enthusiastically upwards* you will see some new buttons! 

There's an About Me page full of useful stuff about me, why I started this blog, links to some of my favourite bits etc.  I also made a page just for the Happy Hooker Backwards Project so I can log all my efforts in one place - I was actually rather surprised to see I am onto the FIFTH project!

 

I also changed my comments settings so that anybody can comment...at least I thought so...but now it seems I can't comment on my own blog...How does that make any sense at all?  So if anybody could tell me their settings I would be very grateful so I can work out what I am doing wrong.  Also if you get a minute if could attempt to leave a comment to see if it works that would be very handy too.

 

Enough of this jibber jabber anyway.  I thought today I would share with you a recipe.  I was sat here fancying a little something sweet and I thought I would rustle up my super chocolately brownies.  These are extremely easy to make and very cheap too, plus the recipe uses mainly cup measurements so no fussing about with scales.  I've always made them from memory so the process and ingredients keep changing but here's the recipe I used today...enjoy!

Super chocolately brownies

• 200g butter (I used Stork as I always have some in the fridge)
• Half a cup of cocoa powder
• Two large pinches of salt
• One teaspoon of vanilla essence
• Two cups (yes two!) of soft brown sugar
• One cup of plain flour
• 2 medium eggs
• A heaped half cup of chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees and grease a shallow baking tray with butter.

Melt the butter and cocoa powder over a low heat in a large saucepan, do this gently and don't let it start to boil. 

Once it's all melted together add in the salt, sugar and vanilla, I really love Sainsbury's Madagascan vanilla...no I'm not being sponsored by Sainsbury's!  It's just what I like to use :)

Stir the lot together and take the pan off the heat, then sift in the flour and mix that in too.  Add the eggs and give it a really good beat until everything is smooth and silky looking.  Then stir in the walnuts.

Pour the mixture into the baking tray and spread it evenly.

Put it in the oven for 20-25 minutes.  Then let it cool in the tine before cutting into squares and scoffing down with a cup of tea.

 All very quick and simple, perfect for when you need a quick sugar fix.  This recipe works really well with other nuts, like pecans, too...or if you are really desperate and the local shop is shut you could always just make them without the nuts.  And if you are feeling really decadent you can finish the brownies off with a drizzle of chocolate icing...mmmm!  Enjoy!