Chewy chocolate brownies

I love brownies. Seriously, they're probably my second favorite dessert ever. The trick to a perfect brownie is the perfect recipe. I have tried hundreds of brownie recipes and had many sweet successes, and many shameful failures - sloppy, tough, burnt, dry or just plain disgusting. However, in this recipe, I have found the one. The perfect recipe. It's soft. It's chewy. It's delicious.

Try it yourself!

Mmm, milk.

Chewy Chocolate Brownies

INGREDIENTS:
35g cocoa powder
150ml boiling water
55g plain chocolate, finely chopped
55g melted unsalted butter.
150ml vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons good-quality vanilla extract
500 sugar
250g plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
170g chocolate chips

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F/170°C. Line a 12"x9" baking tin with greaseproof paper/ baking parchment, leaving about 2cm of overhang on all four sides.

2. Whisk together cocoa and boiling water in a large bowl until smooth. Add the plain chocolate and stir until melted. Stir in melted butter and oil.

3. Allow to cool slightly. whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla extract until combined and add to the chocolate mixture, beating until smooth.

4. Stir in the sugar. Add flour and salt and mix with rubber spatula until combined. Fold in bittersweet chocolate pieces.

3. Scrape batter into tin and bake for about 30-35 minutes. To test done-ness, tilt pan at a 45 degree angle. If the batter doesn't slide, they are ready. Invert brownies onto a cooling rack and allow to cool for two hours.

4. When the brownies are completely cool, cut into squares and store in an airtight container for up to 5 days (if they last that long!).

Vanilla Fudge

Yummy vanilla fudge

INGREDIENTS
450g demarara sugar
100g butter, melted
150 ml single cream
397g can evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

METHOD:
1. Put all the ingredients in a big pan (always go for too big rather than too small!) and stir over a low heat until combined.
2. Bring to the boil and simmer, stirring continually, until it reaches the soft ball stage (about 118°C).
To test its done-ness, drop a bit of the mixture into a jug of cold water. If you can roll it into a soft, easily squishable ball that holds its shape, it's ready.
3. Remove from the heat, add the vanilla and beat it until its really thick and isn't shiny any more - about 10 minutes.
4. Scrape into a buttered, lined tin and leave to cool before cutting into squares.