These taste pretty great. They’re an adaption of Smitten Kitchen’s recipe.

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Time: 45 Minutes

Serves: 16

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 140 grams unsalted butter
• 2 large eggs, cold
• 250 grams sugar
• 65 grams plain white flour
• 65 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
• (optional) icing sugar to dust

Method

• Preheat oven to 160c/320f.
• Line tray with baking paper.
• Pan of simmering water on stove top.
• Combine butter, sugar, salt, cocoa in heatproof bowl.
• Put bowl in pan, mixing until butter is melted and everything is combined and hot enough to burn you.
• Take off heat and allow to become only warm.
• Stir in vanilla with wooden spoon.
• Add eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously.
• When mixture looks thick, shiny and well blended, mix in flour for at least 40 strokes.
• Spread into lined pan.
• Put in oven for 20-25 minutes, or until toothpick emerges moist with batter.
• Remove from heat, put in freezer to cool rapidly, and then onto a cooking rack.
• Dust with icing sugar and cut into squares.

Notes

• Big yes on the weighted ingredients. In my experience you minimise variance in baking if you weigh ingredients.