Make it don't buy it: chocolate brownies recipe

• 200 g (7.1oz) butter, plus extra for greasing
• 200 g (7.1oz) dark chocolate, 60% or 70%
• 4 eggs
• 300 g (10.6oz) caster sugar
• 125 g (4.4oz) plain flour
• 0.5 salt
• 150 g (5.3oz) milk chocolate (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan/gas 4) and grease a 23cm shallow square cake tin (or similar) with a little butter, then line it with baking parchment.
2. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan.
3. While you wait, break the dark chocolate into pieces, then add them to the melted butter, take the pan off the heat and stir the dark chocolate into the butter until smooth.
4. Put the eggs and sugar in a large bowl.
5. Using a whisk, beat together until frothy and a little thicker, just for 30 seconds or so.
6. Pour the melted butter and chocolate into the eggs and whisk to combine (a fork works too).
7. Sift the flour and salt into the bowl.
8. Beat together using your (already chocolatey) whisk, until smooth and thick.
9. Scrape the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the top.
10. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the brownie has risen all over and jiggles just a little in the middle when you gently shake the tin.
11. This is vital for a fudgy result.
12. Remove from the oven and remove the brownies from the tin once slightly cooled using the baking parchment as a 'handle'.
13. Place on a worktop to cool thoroughly.
14. (Optional) While waiting for the brownies to cool, set a heatproof glass bowl over a pan of barely simmering water and add the milk chocolate to melt little by little, stirring gently with a fork.
15. Don't let the temperature get too high.
16. By the time you finish melting the milk chocolate, the brownies should be cool.
17. Scrape out the melted milk chocolate and slather across the top of the brownies evenly.
18. When you're finished spreading, you can either put the whole thing in the fridge to let it set before cutting, or if you'd rather eat them while the topping is still a bit warm, simply cut it into squares and dig in.

butter, chocolate, eggs, caster sugar, flour, salt, milk chocolate

Taken from www.lovefood.com/guide/recipes/45410/make-it-dont-buy-it-chocolate-brownies (may not work)