Recently I had a 9pm craving for brownies, and it was a craving that only good, proper brownies would cure. The problem? I had no chocolate in, and all my brownie recipes utilise melted chocolate (and a lot of it!). Knowing that not eating a brownie would result in an all-out brownie blow-out as soon as I got to a shop next, I set about throwing some bits and pieces together.

The result was these – rich, moist and extremely chocolatey brownies. They have the papery thin crust that only proper brownies develop, a chewy edge and fudgy centre. This amount of cocoa-sugar does make for quite a dark-bitter brownie, so add in a little sugar (or milk/white chocolate chips!) if you have a sweeter tooth. Trust me when I say it; these were a big hit when I carted them halfway up the country to visit W!

Ingredients (makes 6 decently sized brownies)

• 70g salted butter, melted (coconut oil also works, though does make the brownie slightly oiler)
• 120g sugar
• 35g cocoa powder (I’ve been using some raw, unprocessed, unrefined stuff – it’s insanely rich and chocolatey!)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 35g flour
• Any additions – I highly recommend cocoa nibs for a not-too-naughty chocolate kick

Combine the melted butter with the sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla extract, adding a tiny drop of milk. Let cool slightly, then beat in the egg before folding in the flour. Stir through your additions, then pour into a lined baking dish. Bake at 180C for 15-20 minutes, then cool completely before slicing.

Enjoy cold with a glass of milk or (my ultimate indulgence) warmed with a little ice-cream. You can’t beat a warm, gooey brownie topped with some smooth salted caramel ice-cream!

Are you a lover of chocolate brownies? What’s your go-to recipe?