Following is the brownie recipe that I make for Sci-Fi nights. I am not a fan of icing on the top, rather preferring a big scoop of chocolate ice cream on top. I started making my own brownies, because I got tired of the almost anything made of chocolate that gets sold in the shops in Australasia as “brownies”.

These are hugely popular in our house. I hope you like them too.

Original recipe makes 12 – 16 brownies (but I like mine thick and chewy, so it makes 8 – 12 for me).

Ingredients:

Brownies

1/2 cup butter (try 3/4 butter and 1/4 extra virgin olive oil – makes brownies much moister and richer)
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Icing

3 tablespoons butter, softened
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners’ sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees C (160C for fan-forced oven.). Grease and flour an 8 inch square pan.

2. In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, salt, and baking powder. Spread batter into prepared pan.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. (I cook these 20 – 22 minutes, to keep them chewy when they cool down.)

4. Frosting: Combine 3 tablespoons butter, 3 tablespoons cocoa, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 cup confectioners’ sugar. Frost brownies while they are still warm.

Note: I double this recipe and cook for 40 – 45 minutes for thick and gooey brownies.