Dessert Brownies

• Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan) or 350°F. Line a 20cm x 30cm (8x12 inch) baking tin with parchment paper or grease it lightly.
• In a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water, melt the butter and dark chocolate together.
  200 g unsalted butter, 200 g dark chocolate
• Stir occasionally until smooth, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk the caster sugar, eggs and vanilla extract until just combined—no need to overmix.
  250 g caster sugar, 3 large eggs, 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Pour the melted butter and chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and stir gently until fully incorporated.
• Sift in the flour, cocoa powder and salt.
  125 g plain flour, 30 g cocoa powder, 1 pinch salt
• Fold everything together using a spatula until no dry streaks remain. Avoid overmixing.
• Pour the batter into the prepared tin and level the top.
• Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until the top is set and slightly cracked but the centre is still a bit fudgy. A skewer inserted should come out with moist crumbs.
• Leave the dessert brownies to cool in the tin before slicing into 12 pieces (or larger/smaller as desired).

Make the Chocolate Sauce:

• Heat the double cream in a small saucepan over low heat until steaming but not boiling.
  150 ml double cream
• Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped dark chocolate until smooth and glossy. Taste and add sugar if you prefer it sweeter.
  150 g dark chocolate, 1 tbsp caster sugar
• Keep warm or reheat gently before serving.
• Place each warm brownie on a plate and drizzle generously with the chocolate sauce. Serve the dessert brownies immediately for maximum indulgence. Optional additions include ice cream, whipped cream, raspberries or nuts.