CHOCOLATE FUDGE BROWNIES RECIPE (Gluten Free)

When I first made these chocolate fudge brownies it was many many years ago right in the beginning, before I started my business, when I just loved baking from home for fun (which I still do btw)! I wrote the recipe down in this little notebook which I still have today.

I love this brownie recipe just as much all these years later, and have kept it as a staple product at my markets. They are a just so damn good. The best thing about them is you can make them as gooey, or 'well-done' fudge-y as you like, all you have to do is adjust the baking time to your preference! I also prefer to make them plain, however you can add chocolate chips, frozen raspberries, salted caramel etc. to make them even more special.

So behold my chocolate fudge brownies:

INGREDIENTS:

- 200g eggs (4 regular sized eggs)

- 275g caster sugar

- 185g good quality dark chocolate (or substitute for 1/2 milk choc, 1/2 dark choc)

- 185g unsalted butter

- 85g gluten free flour (OR plain flour if you don't want them gluten free)

- 40g cocoa

METHOD:

1. Pre-heat oven to 140 degrees fan-forced. I like baking my brownies at a low temperature to avoid it getting too crunchy on top and not baked in the middle.

2. Line a 18cm x 18cm square tin with baking paper.

3. Whisk eggs in a bowl of an electric stand mixer with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed until the eggs are airy and pale (doubled in size).

4. Pour the caster sugar in GRADUALLY while the mixer is still on medium-high. You have to make sure you don't add the sugar in all at once as it will deflate the eggs. Also you may need to put the guard on the mixing bowl so the sugar doesn't fly everywhere.

5. Keep the mixer whisking on high for approximately 5-10minutes so the mixture gets super airy, pale and thick.

6. Meanwhile cut up the butter + dark chocolate into a microwavable bowl (I recommend using a plastic bowl not glass as a glass bowl also heats up and can get very hot). Microwave for 30seconds at a time, stirring in between until they are completely melted and mixed together. Leave aside to cool slightly.

7. Stop the egg+sugar mix and take bowl off stand mixer (you don't need the mixer again, its all by hand from here on in.. woo!)

8. Gradually pour in one quarter of the chocolate + butter mixture into the egg+sugar bowl. Fold it in with a spatula carefully. I like to tilt the bowl on an angle to avoid all the chocolate+butter running to the bottom of the bowl and its harder to fold in.

9. Gradually add in the rest of the chocolate+butter mixture one quarter at a time, carefully folding in between each addition. Its okay if you cant fully combine them together as there is more folding to be done in the next step!

10. Sift in the flour+cocoa approximately 1/3rd at a time, again folding carefully in between each addition.

11. Pour into the lined square tin and bake for approximately 35-45 minutes. The time depends on how gooey you want the brownies and what your oven is like. I suggest to take them out at 30mins if you want them softer, but you can put a toothpick in the middle to tell when its ready to your liking!

This is what the raw brownie mix looks like in the tin (pre-baking in the oven):

12. Allow it to cool down on a cooling rack. I like to put them in the fridge overnight as i find it much easier to cut into nice pieces if the brownie is cold. (However if you cant wait that long just make sure it is cooled down completely before taking it out the tin and cutting into pieces otherwise you may end up with a big brownie mess -- that will still take amazing I'm sure).