Very chocolatey chocolate brownies

New Year's Resolutions aren't usually my thing, as firstly, I can never normally think of any and secondly, I can never stick to them. But this year all that is about to change, because I'm going try and make a bit more effort to keep up with my baking and blogging, despite the fact that this term is probably going to be the busiest and most stressful yet. So I've more than likely set myself a challenge which is going to be a bit impossible to achieve, but I'm going to try and blog at least once a week. And actually, baking something yummy and having the pleasure of eating it afterwards is definitely one of the best de-stressing methods ever invented. In my opinion anyway.

So I have started as I mean to go on and yesterday, all I wanted to do was bake the most chocolatey thing I could think of. For my birthday I got Mary Berry's Complete Cookbook, which will be my food bible from now on I think, because it has literally every recipe imaginable in there. Including perhaps THE best chocolate brownies that I've ever made. In fact, she does call them 'Best-ever brownies' and I can vouch that this is definitely true. (Although I did make a few little alterations of my own to them!) Gooey and chocolatey and nutty and just so so delicious. You really have to make them and believe me, if you do, you will not be disappointed. Bake these brownies and all those stresses that suddenly appear again after Christmas will vanish instantly in a mouthful. Honest. 

 

Chocolate Brownies (makes 16)

Ingredients:

100g Milk Chocolate

200g Plain Chocolate

230g Margarine

2tsp Instant Coffee

2tbsp Hot Water

2 Eggs

250g Sugar

1tsp Vanilla Extract

90g Self-Raising Flour

150g Chopped Hazeknuts

100g Plain Chocolate Chips

Method:

1. Grease a tin and preheat the oven to 170 degrees.
2. Melt the chocolate and margarine in a pan on a low heat (in a bowl over a pan of boiling water is better if you have a heatproof one that is the right size!).
3. Put the coffee in a bowl and pour in the hot water, stirring to dissolve.
4. Add the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract.
5. Gradually beat in the chocolate mixture.
6. Fold in the flour and hazelnuts, followed by the chocolate chips.
7. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for about 40-45 minutes (until firm to the touch but still gooey in the middle).
8. Leave to cool in the tin, then cut into pieces and enjoy!