Ultimate Chocolate Brownies – Simple Meal Plans

Ultimate Chocolate Brownie

I first made these brownies in a round pan just for fun and really liked that it added a different dimension to the brownies. Feel free to bake in a loaf pan around 24x12cm (9×5 in) if you prefer more traditional brownies.

I’m a bit of a brownie purist and prefer mine straight up. But you could always add in some walnuts or pecans for a different texture.

makes 12-16 small pieces
takes: 30 minutes
125g (4.5oz) butter
125g (4.5oz) dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
150g (5.2oz) sugar
2 eggs
100g (3.5oz) flour

1. Preheat oven to 180C (350F). Grease and line an 18cm (7in) round pan.

2. Melt butter in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat. Break chocolate into small chunks and add to the butter. Allow to melt.

3. When the chocolate is smooth and melted, stir in the sugar, and eggs. Then mix in the flour until just combined.

4. Pour into prepared pan and bake on the middle shelf for 10-20 minutes or until the top feels firm but the centre is still moist and squidgy. Cool in the tin.

Prepare Ahead?

Brownies keep well in the fridge for up to a week or so. So feel free to make in advance. If serving for dessert you could warm them in the oven for a few minutes to take the chill off.

Variations

gluten free – replace flour with 200g ground nuts or nut meal. Almond is an easy choice but you can get a little creative with pecan or walnut meal. Just grind in your food processor. This will take longer to cook than the flour version – start checking after about 15 minutes.

egg-free – I haven’t tried this but try replacing the eggs with 2 small ripe mashed bananas.

dairy-free – replace butter with vegetable oil such as macadamia oil. Warm the oil for a little while then melt the chocolate into the oil as per the recipe.

vegan – try replacing the egg and dairy as per the instructions above. I haven’t tried this myself, though so be careful.

blondies – replace dark chocolate with white chocolate.

chunky – stir in about a cup of roughly chopped pecans or walnuts with the flour.

brown sugar – add a slightly more caramel/toffee flavour by using brown sugar instead of the white.

paleo (gluten, grain + dairy-free) / short on time / low carb – serve dark chocolate instead.

more veg – try these brownies with beets.

Problem Solving Guide

too dry – brownies are very easy to over bake so be careful. Better to err on the side of underdone. No one likes a dry old brownie.

too flat – if you need to use a larger cake pan, increase the recipe and possibly accordingly otherwise your brownies will be too flat.

chocolate splitting or curdling – if the butter is too hot when you add the chocolate, it can cause it to split. Don’t stress, just transfer the mixture to a clean cool bowl and add the eggs in quickly and stir. The eggs should bring it back, if not add an extra egg yolk.

chocolate not melting – If your butter wasn’t hot enough, or your chocolate chunks were too large, it may not melt. Just pop back on a very low heat for a few seconds at a time and stir constantly until the chocolate melts.

Waste Avoidance Strategy

butter – will keep in the fridge for weeks.

dark chocolate / sugar / flour – keep them in the pantry.

eggs – will keep in the fridge for a month or so. Or use for another meal.

Serving Suggestions

For a full-on dessert chop into larger chunks and serve with a big scoop of your favourite ice cream.

Or for a more casual meal or snack, chop into smaller squares like in the picture and serve in the middle of the table for everyone to help themselves.

Leftover Potential

Will keep covered in the refrigerator for up to a week.