Chocolate Brownies

A few weeks ago, Aldi had an offer on running clothes.  It was a week before I gave birth so I was in severe discomfort, only able to hobble, not even able to walk properly.  Between parking the car at Aldi and walking through the car park into the shop, I developed a mild sweat on my upper lip!  What I’m saying is that for the last few weeks of my pregnancy, the simplest tasks became mountainous chores.  Obviously as I couldn’t walk properly so I must’ve looked ridiculous rummaging through the lycra pants and jackets to find a “Small” size that would’ve fitted me in a former life.  Did I imagine it or did I actually hear sniggers from other shoppers as they wondered why this poor woman was fooling herself into believing that she’d ever fit into anything Small again. 

Anyway, I’m highly determined when I want to be and I’ll get there – eventually.  So, sniggers or no sniggers, I bought loads of cut price running gear and I’ve put it all at the very front of my wardrobe.  It will serve as a gentle reminder that although I have a jelly belly just now (it’s only been 2 weeks since I gave birth, cut me a bit of slack!), I’ll get fit again soon and I’ll be able to indulge in my other huge love which is running.  Soon I’ll be able to wear nice non-tent-like clothes again.

In the meantime, before I start my get fit / lose weight / start to look semi normal again regime, I intend to have one too many of these gooey, fudgy brownies, just to get them out of my system.  Definitely not the fuel of the “my body is a temple” brigade.

This recipe is one from the Avoca cookbook.  I’m not sure if it’s Book 1 or Book 2 because it’s a handwritten recipe. 

Makes 8-12 squares

Ingredients

225g unsalted butter

225g dark chocolate (minimum 55% cocoa)

4 eggs

225g dark brown sugar

110g plain flour

80g nuts (I used pecans and walnuts)

Icing sugar to dust

Method

Preheat the oven to 170C.

Melt the butter and chocolate in an ovenproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. 

Whisk the eggs and sugar until thick.  This will take about 10 minutes in a free standing mixer.

Stir in the chocolate and butter mixture.  Fold in the nuts and flour.  Pour into a greased and lined cake tin (30cmx20cmx5cm) and bake for 30-35mins.  Remove from the oven, cover with a damp tea towel and leave to cool.  Cut into squares and dust with icing sugar.