Best-ever brownies
See this recipe step by step

Best-ever brownies

A foolproof recipe for squidgy cake squares, studded with extra chunks of chocolate for extra decadence

Difficulty and servings

Moderately easy

Cuts into 16 squares or 32 triangles

Preparation and cooking times

Total time

Ready in 1 hour, inc cooling (worth every minute)

Method

  1. Cut 185g unsalted butter into smallish cubes and tip into a medium bowl. Break 185g best dark chocolate into small pieces and drop into the bowl. Fill a small saucepan about a quarter full with hot water, then sit the bowl on top so it rests on the rim of the pan, not touching the water. Put over a low heat until the butter and chocolate have melted, stirring occasionally to mix them. Now remove the bowl from the pan. Alternatively, cover the bowl loosely with cling film and put in the microwave for 2 minutes on High. Leave the melted mixture to cool to room temperature.
  2. While you wait for the chocolate to cool, position a shelf in the middle of your oven and turn the oven on to fan 160C/conventional 180C/gas 4 (most ovens take 10-15 minutes to heat up). Using a shallow 20cm square tin, cut out a square of non-stick baking parchment to line the base. Now tip 85g plain flour and 40g cocoa powder into a sieve held over a medium bowl, and tap and shake the sieve so they run through together and you get rid of any lumps.
  3. With a large sharp knife, chop 50g white chocolate and 50g milk chocolate into chunks on a board. The slabs of chocolate will be quite hard, so the safest way to do this is to hold the knife over the chocolate and press the tip down on the board, then bring the rest of the blade down across the chocolate. Keep on doing this, moving the knife across the chocolate to chop it into pieces, then turn the board round 90 degrees and again work across the chocolate so you end up with rough squares.
  4. Break 3 large eggs into a large bowl and tip in 275g golden caster sugar. With an electric mixer on maximum speed, whisk the eggs and sugar until they look thick and creamy, like a milk shake. This can take 3-8 minutes, depending on how powerful your mixer is, so don't lose heart. You'll know it's ready when the mixture becomes really pale and about double its original volume. Another check is to turn off the mixer, lift out the beaters and wiggle them from side to side. If the mixture that runs off the beaters leaves a trail on the surface of the mixture in the bowl for a second or two, you're there.
  5. Pour the cooled chocolate mixture over the eggy mousse, then gently fold together with a rubber spatula. Plunge the spatula in at one side, take it underneath and bring it up the opposite side and in again at the middle. Continue going under and over in a figure of eight, moving the bowl round after each folding so you can get at it from all sides, until the two mixtures are one and the colour is a mottled dark brown. The idea is to marry them without knocking out the air, so be as gentle and slow as you like - you don't want to undo all the work you did in step 4.
  6. Hold the sieve over the bowl of eggy chocolate mixture and resift the cocoa and flour mixture, shaking the sieve from side to side, to cover the top evenly. Gently fold in this powder using the same figure of eight action as before. The mixture will look dry and dusty at first, and a bit unpromising, but if you keep going very gently and patiently, it will end up looking gungy and fudgy. Stop just before you feel you should, as you don't want to overdo this mixing. Finally, stir in the white and milk chocolate chunks until they're dotted throughout. Now your mixing is done and the oven can take over.
  7. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, scraping every bit out of the bowl with the spatula. Gently ease the mixture into the corners of the tin and paddle the spatula from side to side across the top to level it. Put in the oven and set your timer for 25 minutes. When the buzzer goes, open the oven, pull the shelf out a bit and gently shake the tin. If the brownie wobbles in the middle, it's not quite done, so slide it back in and bake for another 5 minutes until the top has a shiny, papery crust and the sides are just beginning to come away from the tin. Take out of the oven.
  8. Leave the whole thing in the tin until completely cold, then, if you're using the brownie tin, lift up the protruding rim slightly and slide the uncut brownie out on its base. If you're using a normal tin, lift out the brownie with the foil. Cut into quarters, then cut each quarter into four squares and finally into triangles. These brownies are so addictive you'll want to make a second batch before the first is finished, but if you want to make some to hide away for a special occasion, it's useful to know that they'll keep in an airtight container for a good two weeks and in the freezer for up to a month.
Try

Not quite what you're looking for?

Try our lower fat option, Ultimate makeover: Chocolate brownies, or other popular brownie recipes, Fudgy coconut brownies or Marbled brownies.

Per triangle

144 kcalories, protein 2g, carbohydrate 17g, fat 8 g, saturated fat 5g, fibre 0.5g, sugar 14g, salt 0.06 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, May 2003.

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Latest comments and suggestions

Results 101-120

  • Binder photo vick88

    11 February 2009

    vick88 commented on this recipe

    These were my first ever attempt at making brownies and they were amazing! I subsituted the 100g choc for terries choc orange and sprinkled some cinnamon on top. I made them for a bring your own brownie competition party and won!

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  • Binder photo SM

    21 February 2009

    SM rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I made these today and omigod they are so good! 100 better then shop bought and prob better for you too!! I was norty and had them whilst still warm no regrets as they tasted so good. Only thig was the lovely bit on the top fell off but that doesnt spoil them! Forget Betty Crocker and make these!!

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  • Binder photo vicky luongo

    28 February 2009

    vicky luongo commented on this recipe

    These are amazing - i made them yesterday and will be making another batch for my family on sunday. my boyfriend is a chocaholic and he says they are the best chocalatey thing he has ever tasted so they must be good!!

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  • Binder photo vicky luongo

    28 February 2009

    vicky luongo rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo byronic

    02 March 2009

    byronic rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Absolutely amazing! Made them yesterday and most of them have already been devoured! Although like others have said they do take longer than 25mins to cook, mine needed a further 10mins.

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  • Binder photo Karen

    08 March 2009

    Karen commented on this recipe

    Like the comment below, my brownies were a bit too soft in the middle despite leaving the mixture in the oven for a further 10 minutes. I'm going to try again with a slightly hotter oven next time.

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  • Binder photo moose

    09 March 2009

    moose commented on this recipe

    Definitely had to cook these for longer than stated, but wobble test works! Every one of us enjoyed these naughty brownies

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  • Binder photo Hermione

    15 March 2009

    Hermione rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Delicious - do not make if you are doing WeightWatchers unless you have at least 16 hungry people in your house. Have even got to make them for my Mother-in-Law for Mother's Day and she doesn't really like chocolate!

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  • Binder photo linkevica

    17 March 2009

    linkevica rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    heaven

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  • Binder photo greggburrows

    20 March 2009

    greggburrows commented on this recipe

    Just put mine in the oven.... Don't really cook much at all, so really nervous about the outcome! Fingers crossed it will be ok!!!

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  • Binder photo sandi

    21 March 2009

    sandi rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Made these for a girly night in with my teenage daughter. We found them easy to make, although with cooling time etc it took us longer than the time stated. Cooked them for only 20 minutes and they were perfect although we did use a wider tin than stated which made them more shallow. Taste........absolutely delicious. The best brownies ever. Mmmmm

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  • Binder photo lucy

    27 March 2009

    lucy rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    these brownies got me an offer of marriage - can't ask for much more than that from you baking!

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  • Binder photo Juniper

    28 March 2009

    Juniper rated and commented on this recipe

    3 stars

    Was so looking forward to making these brownies, especially after all the wonderful comments BUT whilst they tasted amazing, they completely fell apart : ( Am wondering if I left them in that bit too long (although did the wobble test). I used a fan oven at 160 and left them in for 40 mins. Next time will try 35 mins. Will definately be trying them again as they did taste fantastic!

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  • Binder photo Georgelikescake

    29 March 2009

    Georgelikescake rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Really are the best brownies, came out perfect despite being made in a student house so we were limited on utensils! Also used normal caster sugar instead of golden but still came out lovely... very indulgent

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  • Binder photo Meg

    30 March 2009

    Meg commented on this recipe

    cant describe how nice these brownies are! sooo delicious!

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  • Binder photo grumpykoala

    31 March 2009

    grumpykoala rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    These are really amazing, I doubled the quantities and made a big batch which required longer in the oven - about 45 minutes in the end. But they were incredibly delicious - my housemates keep pestering me to make them again! I added some Thorntons vanilla fudge cubes (three bags of the children's ones) which melted as the brownies cooked and would highly recommend this if you want to add something different. Make these - you won't regret it!

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  • Binder photo Anna

    01 April 2009

    Anna rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    These are absolutly delicious. I've made them a couple of times for dinner parties, they always go down well. They're great as I can make them the week before, I warm them and have them with ice cream. mmmmmmmmm!

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  • Binder photo happycook

    03 April 2009

    happycook rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    mine always sink in the end and they are soo fudgy i can cut them into neat squares so i break them off but i have never tasted anything so decadent! yum yum absolutely gorgeous have made several times and each time same results! never last long :D

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  • Binder photo gregfroome

    04 April 2009

    gregfroome rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Very good recipe!

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  • Binder photo maisie-dolly

    07 April 2009

    maisie-dolly commented on this recipe

    Excellent recipe! Tasted amazing! 5 STARS!!

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Difficulty and servings

Moderately easy

Cuts into 16 squares or 32 triangles

Preparation and cooking times

Total time

Ready in 1 hour, inc cooling (worth every minute)

Chocoholics' dream

Ingredients

  • 185g unsalted butter
  • 185g best dark chocolate
  • 85g plain flour
  • 40g cocoa powder
  • 50g white chocolate
  • 50g milk chocolate
  • 3 large eggs
  • 275g golden caster sugar
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Per triangle

144 kcalories, protein 2g, carbohydrate 17g, fat 8 g, saturated fat 5g, fibre 0.5g, sugar 14g, salt 0.06 g

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