Nigel Slater'S Very Good Chocolate Brownies - cooking recipe

Ingredients

300 g sugar
250 g softened butter
250 g chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
3 large eggs, plus
1 egg yolk
60 g plain flour
60 g cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 180\u00b0 C or 160\u00b0 C in a fan oven.
Line a 23cm square baking tin with baking paper.
Put the sugar and butter into the bowl of a mixer and beat for a few minutes until white and fluffy.
Meanwhile break the chocolate into pieces. Set 50g of it aside and melt the rest in a bowl over a pan of simmering water.
Remove the chocolate from the heat.
Chop the rest into small pieces.
Lightly beat the eggs and extra yolk in a bowl.
Separately sift the flour, cocoa and baking powder with a bit of salt.
With the machine running slowly, add in the eggs a bit at a time.
Take the bowl from the mixer and add in the chocolate.
Lastly fold in the flour and cocoa powder mixture, gently but firmly, trying not to knock any air out.
Put the mixture in the tin and bake for 25-30 minutes.
It will rise slightly and be a bit softer in the middle.
A toothpick in the centre should come out a bit stick but not with raw batter on it.
If not, bake until the batter is set.
The brownies will solidify a bit on cooling so if they appear squishy be patient -- hard I know, but it's worth it!