Chocolate Brownies

I have a new, extremely delicious, chocolate brownies recipe.  Katie and I have made two batches so far as they don't last very long once they're out of the oven!  These brownies have a firm outer and a light and slightly gooey centre - chocolate heaven.

Makes 16

200g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
150g unsalted butter or baking margarine (plus extra for greasing)
2 tsp vanilla paste or extract
150g golden caster sugar
3 eggs, beaten
75g plain flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
100g dark chocolate chips (we used 100g dark chocolate, snipped by scissors!)

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C/Gas 4 and grease a 19cm (or thereabouts) square shallow baking tin, lined with baking paper (greased also).

Gently heat the chocolate, butter and vanilla together in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of just simmering water (make sure the water doesn't touch the bowl), or microwave in short bursts until chocolate has melted and is mixable.  Remove from heat/microwave and stir in the sugar.

Beat the eggs and add to the bowl then sift in the flour, cocoa and salt folding it in until the mixture is smooth and glossy.  Stir in the chocolate chips (or snipped chocolate).

Pour the mixture into the tin, level the top and pop it in the oven for 20/25 mins - or until the top starts to crack but the centre remains gooey.  Turn off the oven and leave the brownie in there for a further 5 mins before removing.  Leave to cool completely in the tin.  When ready, remove from tin and cut into squares.