Chocolate Brownie Recipe

Chocolate Brownie Recipe has been on the to-do list for a while and finally got baking the other day. Had my fingers crossed for this was my first time baking brownies. A lot of research and reading in on baking brownies has been happening as brownies are a favourite with my daughter and regularly gets her share from the local bakeries and yes, gets me to taste them all with the hope that one day Amma would bake me a brownie at home:) . So tried my combination of ingredients and was all excited to wrap it up before she gets back from school and to have a surprise waiting for her.

Back from school and the first thing she would do is check out what's interesting in the lunch menu. Got mixing with the ingredients and got the brownie mix into the oven and a few minutes into baking there were a few boys who dropped by trying to create awareness regarding a social cause. Leaving one of them enquired if there was a cake being baked:), felt a little embarrased as couldn't offer then as these dark delights were still baking away in the oven and needed more time to be perfectly done, but felt good that yes, there is a pleasant inviting aroma making its way across the home. Baking is such a satisfying activity especially when it is moving from the half-baked to the completion stage when you see the dish taking shape the way you had planned and also the house filling up with the aroma.

Here is my Chocolate Brownie Recipe. I did add in a lot of walnuts as hubby dear likes it all nutty but my daughter would definitely like it plain but then the chocolate lover she is added in some dark chocolate and managed to please both palettes:)

Ingredients for the Chocolate Brownie Recipe
Makes - 8 to 10 Squares
Difficulty Level : Easy/Medium

1 cup maida(all-purpose flour)

½ tsp baking powder

60 gms butter (at room temperature)

¾ cup sugar (you may reduce it to half cup if you like it less sweet)

1 tsp of coffee powder (I used Nescafe Instant Coffee Powder) diluted in a few drops of water

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla essence

½ cup drinking chocolate/cocoa  

2 tbsp chopped walnuts(finely chopped)

2 tbsp grated dark chocolate (I used Morde)

1 tbsp orange zest 

Method for Chocolate Brownies Recipe

1- Mix together the all purpose flour and baking powder in a bowl. 

2- In another bowl add in the sugar and butter and mix till the sugar completely dissolves. Add the diluted coffee powder, cocoa powder and vanilla essence. Now slowly add in the all purpose flour and baking powder mixture. Mix well to avoid any lumps. 

3- Pour into a pre-greased baking tin and sprinkle with the chopped walnuts, grated dark chocolate and orange zest. 

4- Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 deg C for 25-30 minutes or till done. 

5- Cool and cut into squares. Serve warm with a blob of chilled vanilla ice cream and top with some chocolate sauce. 

I didn't have any left to serve as dessert as it was over long before it was dinner time. 

Verdict: They turned out with a nice crust and moist on the inside, just perfect. The orange zest added an amazing taste and flavour with every bite. The grated dark chocolate that melted with the baking lend its own rich taste. A thumbsup and can make again certificate from my two foodies. :) This is what passes the food test at home.