You might be overdosed on chocolate by now, but a favourite chocolate dessert in our house is chocolate brownies. You could use some of that excess Easter egg chocolate if it is not all scoffed. These are really easy to make and taste great (don't even think about calories....). They are a great gluten free option, because you use only a small amount of flour and there is really no difference in taste when gluten free flour is used.
The recipe is from the River Cottage Family Cook Book, which I would highly recommend as a starter cook book for anyone, not just families. Hugh Fernley-Whittingstall and Fizz Carr's' book explains so well about basic ingredients, how they work together, and how to make a great range of basic foods. But they are not afraid to get kids making bread from scratch, or jam, or marshmallows. They explain things like how to use yeast and gelatine, how to boil sugar for jam and how to clean and prepare a squid. The brownie recipe page in our book is almost unreadable at this stage, with splashes of chocolate, grease etc proving its popularity in our house!
Double Chocolate Brownies
70% dark chocolate 250g (McCambridge's 250g block 70% chocolate works perfectly)
Unsalted butter 200g (regular butter will work too...)
Caster sugar 200g
3 eggs
Plain flour or gluten free flour 125g
Cocoa powder 50g
Chopped walnuts or hazelnuts 100g (optional)
Baking tin approx 20 x 30 cm and at least 2cm deep
Preheat oven to 160 deg C
Break up the chocolate and chop up the butter into a mixing bowl. Sit the bowel on a saucepan of simmering hot water (make sure bowel doesn't touch water) and melt chocolate and butter.
In a second bowl whisk together eggs and sugar (I use an electric whisk) until smooth and creamy. Add the melted chocolate and butter, mixing thoroughly.
Sift in the flour and cocoa powder and mix. Add the nuts if using(I love them in, the kids love them out, guess who usually wins...).
Line the baking tin with tin foil and pour the mixture into the tin. Bake for 20 -25mins - don't overcook! Better squishy than solid.
Leave to cool and cut into squares
Completely yummy warm with good vanilla ice-cream (try Murphy's) or a dollop of whipped cream.
Store in an air-tight box or tin. They are even fudgier the next day.....
