Dio Brownie

Ah brownies. Bound to be present at any shared lunch or large party, this small baked square of cakey goodness is usually underrated and cast aside when in competition against gooey chocolate chip cookies or perfectly frosted cupcakes.

While the versatility of a brownie can be one of the best things about it, as you have a fudgy, cakey, chewy, or crumbly brownie all by slightly altering the mixture, this makes for a very unreliable baked good.

As a person who definitely prefers a thick fudgy brownie, I really can’t count the number of times I have been disappointed as I bite into a drier, cakey brownie, mumbling “mmmmm”, while strategically planning how to get rid of the rest without anyone seeing.

But there was always one place I could rely on to have the most unforgettable, smooth and rich brownie served everyday.  The Diocesan School Cafeteria. If you are a dio girl you will definitely know what I am talking about, and looking back it’s a wonder that I didn’t end up obese or broke at the amount of tuck shop brownie I ate.

Unfortunately this was no recipe that any old ‘volunteer parent’ could have a glance at while working their once a year shift, no, no, it was a well kept secret between few, which kept a large number of girls queuing up daily. So you can imagine how thrilled I was when my school released their cookbook “Essence of Dio” including the coveted brownie recipe.

So as I said before this is the basic recipe so if you want to change the texture or taste to your personal preference then go ahead!

Dio Brownies

Ingredients

•             250 grams butter

•             1 1/2 cups cocoa

•             2 1/4 cups caster sugar

•             1.5 teaspoons vanilla essence

•             5 eggs, beaten

•             1 cup standard flour

•             1 tsp baking powder

•             1 block of dark chocolate (approx 250 grams), chopped up

•             Icing sugar to sprinkle (optional)

Method

Line a 12 by 10 inch baking tray, and heat your oven to 180C bake.

Melt the butter, and mix with the cocoa in a large bowl. Add the eggs, vanilla, and caster sugar to the bowl and stir well. 

Sieve the flour and baking powder into the mixture. Finally, add the chocolate and mix everything together. Pour into the lined tin, and bake for about 40 minutes until firm to touch on the edges, but still soft in the middle. Now all ovens are slightly different so it helps to check after 25 minutes just in case your oven is a bit hotter/faster.

Now if you are impatient like me this is especially important, for the best results leave the brownie in the tin for 10-15 minutes so you allow time for it to cool down and set a little. I even put mine in the fridge after it had initially cooled down. And simply using a cookie cutter you can make beautiful brownie hearts that make cute little christmas gifts when wrapped in cellophane. 

*Enjoy a generous sized piece with a large glass of milk*