I love traybakes…
…a lot. Traybakes are probably one of my favourite things to bake. It’s so easy just whacking the whole mixture into a pan and slamming it in the oven!
I’ve been on the hunt for a good brownie recipe for many years, and I reckon this one’s a really good standard offering. I think it’s got the perfect texture and taste – fudgy and chewy, but crisp on top – just like brownies should be. Of course, you can add in walnuts, pecans, chocolate chunks, candied peel… or any other treat you like! You can also swap the vanilla extract for orange, and add in some orange zest. But the basic recipe stays the same. Brilliant.
I highly recommend you give this a go. If you like to dabble in the ol’ bake-craft, you’ll probably have most of these ingredients in the cupboard. And if you don’t, go and stock up, you’ll need them for most of my recipes! (Especially chocolate – I tend to keep about six 100g bars of cheap dark chocolate in the cupboard for baking. They get used up incredibly quickly!)
Remember, with brownies, they will sink when you take them out of the oven – that’s what gives them the gorgeous texture. Just bake for a bit longer if you like them a bit cakier.
Brownies. Just Brownies.
Makes as many as you cut them into! You’ll need an 8 or 9 inch square tin.
Ingredients
100g baking spread/butter
175g caster sugar
75g dark muscavado sugar
100g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
1 tbsp golden syrup
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
100g plain flour
2 tbsp cocoa
½ tsp baking powder
*optional 100g chocolate for chunking and mixing in
Method
- Pre heat your oven to 200°C/180°C fan/Gas Mark 6.
- Line your brownie pan with baking paper or silicone sheets (I LOVE silicone sheets – chuck them in the dishwasher and reuse over and over! Two skinny bits crossed over work a treat).
- Pop your baking spread or butter, both sugars, 100g of chocolate and golden syrup into a saucepan and heat gently, stirring, until it’s all melted together. Take off the heat and put to one side to cool.
- In another bowl, beat together the eggs and flavouring, then whisk in your chocolate mixture once it’s cooled a bit. No need to wait too long, you just don’t want to cook the beaten eggs with hot chocolate!
- Mix the flour, cocoa and baking powder in a bowl or your scale pan, then fold into the mixture.
- Chunk up your chocolate, if you’re using it, and mix in.
- Pour your brownie mixture into the brownie pan and bake for 20-25 minutes.
- The top should look crisp and the edges should be just beginning to crack and shrink away from the edges of the pan.
- Let it cool in the tin for a good 10-15 minutes, until it’s robust enough to lift out!
Don’t be too heavy handed when checking the brownie for done-ness. The top may be papery and will come away on your fingers. Brownies should be fairly soft and squidgy, but not wobbly, although if you like a super moist brownie, adjust your cooking times!
Cut into as many pieces as you like! It’s best warm, as with most cakes!
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Adapted from ‘Chocolate & Baking’, published by Parragon.
