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 61-80

  • Binder photo Twinklestar

    21 August 2008

    Twinklestar rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    These really are the best. I left out the white chocolate, but otherwise I wouldn't change a thing.

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  • Binder photo tweedletwo

    29 August 2008

    tweedletwo rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    not much else to add - really great. definitely worth the time and effort, my mum agreed even after complaining about the noise the mixers were making. Great with ice cream

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  • Binder photo montserrat

    30 August 2008

    montserrat commented on this recipe

    I just made these again for the 3rd time in a month cos they are.. hmmm good! For ''Ilovecheesecake''.. the baking time given is only a 'guide' for doneness.. as each oven is different. (My oven would 'burn' if set at 170C for most cakes). For these brownies, I baked them at 160C (fan-forced) for 40 minutes.. use a skewer to test whether it's done; if it comes out slightly gooey, it's ok cos it will firm up abit when cooled especially since it has choc bits (chopped chocs). You can also put a foil over your brownie pan (towards the end of your baking) to protect the top from cracking up. Just make sure the foil doesn't touch your brownie. For my personal taste, I lessen the sugar (230g) cos I don't want a sugar overload ;)). This 3rd time round, I have better results.. they are more moist, they cut well (not crumbly) and not too sweet. They make such lovely gifts and treats. Highly recommended!

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  • Binder photo chocolatemonkeybear

    31 August 2008

    chocolatemonkeybear commented on this recipe

    These brownies are fantastic - very much the BEST EVER. Gooey and rich and gorgeous

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  • Binder photo angelalovescake

    01 September 2008

    angelalovescake rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    These look great when cooked a lovely crispy coating forms on top. They were quite rich on the day i made them and a little skicky but the next day they were perfect so I would suggest making them a day before you want to eat them

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  • Binder photo Sally Ardagh

    05 September 2008

    Sally Ardagh commented on this recipe

    Oh Yes, have to agree with all comments already made. Having tried various brownie recipes, including ones with hugely expensive lists of ingredients, this is "the Best"! I substited walnuts for the chocolate chunks as I fancied a nutty texture. Absolutely delicious.

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  • Binder photo Stephanie

    08 September 2008

    Stephanie rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    It's true, they are the BEST-EVER. It's easy to make and so tasty, i can't stop eating. They look exactly like the brownies on the photo. Lovely

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  • Binder photo Kiwi

    15 September 2008

    Kiwi rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    These are incredible!! A pastry chef even asked me for the recipe after he tried them! Well worth the effort!

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  • Binder photo Sam Maddin

    20 September 2008

    Sam Maddin commented on this recipe

    I make this using gluten free flour (I'm a coeliac) and it works excellently, in part because there is so little flour anyway, though it does take a lot longer to bake than stated in the recipe. I also add nuts sometimes. It's a great recipe, and works out cheaper than many other 'flourless' ones that use almond flour.

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  • Binder photo PockyRocket

    21 September 2008

    PockyRocket rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Absolutely perfect! All my friends were devouring them, thanks so much for the wonderful recipe!

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  • Binder photo kitchen_fairy

    30 September 2008

    kitchen_fairy rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    A very rich brownie which was a big hit with the whole family. Would definitely make again.

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  • Binder photo Sian

    10 October 2008

    Sian rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    This is the best brownie recipe ever. I had to bake mine for a lot longer, literally double the time as my oven always takes longer to bake cakes. The brownies are aboslutely delicious, perfect.

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  • Binder photo Andrishka

    11 October 2008

    Andrishka commented on this recipe

    They're right - this is definitely the best brownie recipe I have ever made!

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  • Binder photo Andrishka

    12 October 2008

    Andrishka rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Oops - forgot the rating - 5 star - of course!

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  • Binder photo Jude

    12 October 2008

    Jude rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Absolutely Fantastic - lovely, chocolately and moist! Very easy to make but replaced white chocolate with milk chocolate. Needed to cook for an extra 10/15 minutes.

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  • Binder photo Liana

    18 October 2008

    Liana rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    This is the best brownie ever IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!!! :) I am the same instead of white chocolate I add dark chocolate... So you can you imagine it is oh so CHOCOLATE-Y!!!

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  • Binder photo Elaine

    23 October 2008

    Elaine rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    excellent brownies - need to be eaten the day after though to be at their best

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  • Binder photo FreedomLady

    26 October 2008

    FreedomLady commented on this recipe

    I was all set to make this recipe and found that the measurments (grams) were not of the kind I can bake with. My bake wares are in mL and cups! Hopefully I can find a good conversion chart someplace.

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  • Binder photo loziicheff

    02 November 2008

    loziicheff commented on this recipe

    Ahhhh these were amasing!! i loved them defo try them with some vanilla ice cream :)

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  • Binder photo Gregzz

    06 November 2008

    Gregzz commented on this recipe

    cool mmmmm....

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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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