Just cocoa one pan Chocolate Brownies

Well ok some more ingredients but crucially no cooking chocolate which always mysteriously disappears from our pantry…oh and also one pan to make it in and one tray to bake it in but the top title is far catchier…

I know, I know, a Brownie recipe???? We all know how to make delicious Brownies…yes! Yes we do! But do we have a back pocket “I don’t have any cooking chocolate in the house and I need a quick fix Brownie bake”? No! Well at least I didn’t, but now we all do so thank you very much “Inspired Taste” for this amazing recipe which I actually think tasted better than my go to slightly convoluted recipe that has previously won me prizes…well they always sold out at the school fetes and the staff would always hold a few pieces back for the staff room when the children had distributed them to their classes on birthdays…surely that is rosette worthy?

Ingredients

150g unsalted butter

250g granulated sugar

75g unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

2 large eggs

65g Plain flour

Method

Line an 8-inch square baking pan with baking paper.

Melt the butter: Add the butter to a saucepan. Place over medium-low heat (do not let it brown).

Stir in the sugar and cocoa: While the butter is hot, stir in the sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt until blended. Don’t worry if the batter looks gritty. Once you add the eggs later, the brownie batter will become smooth.

Cool the mixture slightly: Set the saucepan aside to cool until the mixture is warm, not hot, 5 to 10 minutes. Test the temperature by touching the batter, it should still be quite warm, but not too hot that you need to pull away.

Add the eggs: Add the eggs, one at a time, stirring vigorously after each egg.

Beat in the flour: When the batter looks thick and well blended, add the flour. Use a spoon to beat the flour into the batter until it is very thick and pulls away from the sides.

Bake the brownies: Scrape the batter into your prepared pan and spread it evenly, pushing it into the corners. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes at 325°F/ 162°C), or until the edges look set and the middle is slightly underbaked. A skewer inserted into the centre should come out with slightly sticky batter.