Decadent Easter Brownie

Total Time: 55 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 16
• 240 g dark chocolate (top quality)
• 250 g butter
• 120 g flour
• 45 g cocoa powder (good quality)
• 360 g caster sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• 140 g chocolate chips (good quality)
• 80 g pecans (optional) or 80 g walnuts (optional)

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 160°c.
• 2 line the base of a brownie baking tin with baking paper.
• 3 microwave 180g of the chocolate and the butter on high for about 2 minutes (microwaves varyin wattage, so stir and check to prevent burning). stir and set aside.
• 4 mix flour and cocoa powder together and set aside.
• 5 using an electric mixer on high speed, beat together the sugar, eggs and vanilla until pale and creamy. this should take about 5 minutes.
• 6 pour the cool chocolate and butter mix over the egg~sugar mix and gently fold together. do not overmix. use a sieve to dust flour and cocoa mix over chocolate and egg mix and again gently fold. again do not over mix.
• 7 gently fold in the chocolate chips/chunks and nuts (if using) evenly through the mix.
• 8 pour mix into prepared tin, making sure of even spread of chocolate chunks and bake for about 25-30 minutes. gently shake the tin and if it has a slight wobble, but not a fluid wobble, the brownie is cooked. if not, bake for an additional 5 minutes.
• 9 remove and place on a cooling rack. allow to cool completely before removing, slice into squares.
• 10 * to make crossed on your brownies, make a batch of royal icing by mixing 1 egg with 1 1/4 cups pure icing sugar and 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice. put into a snap lock bag, snip a corner and start piping your crosses. piping crosses before slicing makes it easier.