Biscuits, Bars And Cookies Recipes - American Chocolate Fudge Brownies

Ingredients

• 175g/3/4 cup butter

• 40g/6 tbsp cocoa powder

• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

• 175g/1 cup soft light brown sugar

• 2.5ml/1/2 tsp vanilla essence

• 115g/1 cup chopped pecan nuts

• 50g/1/2 cup self-raising flour

FOR THE FROSTING

• 115g/4oz plain chocolate

• 25g/2 tbsp butter

• 15ml/1 tbsp soured cream

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Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180'C/350'F/Gas 4. Grease then line a 20cm/8in square shallow cake tin with greaseproof paper. Melt the butter in a pan and stir in the cocoa powder. Set aside to cool.

2. Beat together the eggs, sugar and vanilla essence in a bowl, then stir in the cooled cocoa mixture with the nuts. Sift over the flour and fold into the mixture with a metal spoon.

3. Pour the mixture into the cake tin and bake in the oven or 30-35 minutes, until risen. Remove from the oven (the mixture will still be quite soft and wet, but it cooks further while cooling) and leave to cool in the tin.

4. To make the frosting, melt the chocolate and butter together in a pan and remove from the heat. Beat in the soured cream until smooth and glossy. Leave to cool slightly, and then spread over the top of the brownies. When set, cut into 12 pieces.