Double Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
3/4 cup cocoa
1 cup self raising flour
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Grease a 13x9 baking pan or a large round cake tin and set aside.

Microwave the butter in a large bowl for 2 minutes, or until the butter is melted. Stir in the sugar and vanilla. Beat in the eggs one at a time.

Add the cocoa and beat until well blended. Add the flour and beat well. By hand stir in the chocolate chips (and pecans if you desire). Pour the batter into the pan smoothing it out into the corners. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, the brownie should begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Cool at room temperature. Cut into squares or wedges depending on the pan used. Serve with fresh whipped cream or drizzle with a little pouring cream. For an added Christmassy touch dust with a little icing sugar.

cooks notes: As everyone should know brownie batter is about the best substance known to man, M would probably kill for the bowl, and due to that I highly recommend making brownies when the house is empty, therefore there is no need to share the mixing bowl! I often under-cook brownies so that its very gooey in the centre and makes for a happy family all around. If over cooked brownie basically becomes chocolate cake, and is still edible just say you made chocolate cake and omit that it was ever brownies. The above recipe is a simple one there are hundreds of brownie variations out there, and I tend to experiment based on whats in the house. I may try a cream cheese or a peanut butter variation next time.