Foolproof chocolate brownies

I needed to bake these for an afternoon tea my friend had yesterday so thought it would be a good opportunity to share the recipe as these brownies really are foolproof (and delicious!). Best eaten the next day (if you can wait that long - hats off to you if you can!) and lovely with some raspberries or strawberries for just a touch of nutrition to balance out all that butter, sugar and chocolate ;)

If you try this, let me know how you get on!

Foolproof chocolate brownies
Adapted from Felicity Cloake's recipe which you can find here (mine is basically the lazy girl's version)

250g 70% cocoa chocolate, broken into pieces
250g unsalted butter
300g golden caster sugar
3 large eggs, plus 1 extra egg yolk, lightly beaten
60g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
60g cocoa powder
100g walnut pieces

1) Line a 23cm x 23cm baking tin with greaseproof baking paper and pre-heat your oven to 180C.

2) Put a bowl over a pan of simmering water (making sure the bowl and water don't touch) and add the chocolate. Melt slowly and stir occasionally. Once melted, remove from the heat.

3) Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (and if you're lucky enough to own one, thank the heavens for KitchenAids!)

4) Keep the mixer running and gradually add the beaten eggs. Beat well between each addition. Leave the mixer on a high speed for 5 mins. This will create that lovely thin, crunchy topping once they're baked).

5) Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the melted chocolate and then the sifted flour, baking powder and walnut pieces.

6) Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 30-35 mins. Test it with a skewer and check that the mixture is coming out sticky but not raw.

7) When the brownies are ready, take out of the oven and leave to cool for an hour. Cut into squares and store in an air-tight container.

By the way, if you haven't tried Felicity's 'How to cook the perfect...' series for The Guardian yet then you must take a look and try some of her recipes. For a complete kitchen newb like me it is brilliant!