Chocolate Brownies

Chocolate Brownies (For 9 persons)

200g butter (unsalted)

250g castor sugar

120g pastry flour

60g Cocoa powder (refer photo step 3)

2g salt

3 small eggs (for vegetarian version replace by 90ml of milk)

10ml Vanilla essence (Robson or Moirs)

For decoration

30g of grated desiccated coconut

3 tablespoons of Nutella

2 drops of food colouring to color grated coconut (optional)

20g of colored Almond paste/ Marzipan (optional)

1 flower fondant plunger to cut out flower shapes from your Marzipan (optional)

Procedure

Step 1: Weight and melt your butter in the microwave (normally it will take about 30 seconds to melt completely )

Step 2: Once your butter has melted, transfer to a mixing bowl, add your sugar and using your hand whisk, mix until all is combined.

Tip: No need for all the sugar to be dissolved in the butter ..

Step 3: Weight your flour, cocoa powder and salt and mix them all together

Step 4: Add your dry ingredients mixture obtained from the previous step (flour, cocoa and salt) to your melted butter and sugar mixture and mix mix mix !

Step 5: When you obtain a uniform chocolate mixture, add in eggs (or 90ml milk for vegetarian version) and vanilla essence and continue to mix until you obtain a smooth chocolate mixture. Your brownie batter is now ready !

Step 6: Line a 20cm x 20 cm square baking mold with parchment paper (or you may also use a lightly greased non-stick baking pan ) and transfer your brownie batter in same mold.

Step 7: Use a spatula or spoon to smoothen the surface of your brownie and you are ready to go ! Bake your brownie batter in a preheated over at 175 degrees Celsius for 25 minutes or when a brochette or tooth pick comes out clean when inserted in the center.

Step 8: Out of the oven ! Hot hot hot !

Note: Doneness is confirmed when a skewer comes out clean when inserted in the center

Step 9: You may take a selfie with your brownie !...

Step 10: When your brownie has cooled completely, cut the four borders (thinly) like shown below (left). Then use your pastry ruler to trace cutting marks on your brownie. Ensure to obtain 3 rows and 3 columns.

Step 11: Cut your brownies on the cutting marks to obtain beautiful individual portions . Do not separate them, leave them all together (coller serrer ).

Step 12: Spread a coat of Nutella on your brownies (cut) and top up with some grated coconut (may be colored) and a flower made with almond paste (Marzipan).