Everyday brownies

Ingredients:

• 140 g (10 tbsp) butter
• 1 and 3/4 cups brown sugar (packed firmly)
• 3/4 cup sifted cocoa powder
• 1 cup premium wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• A pinch of salt
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• About 170g milk chocolate, chopped into small pieces (or 1 cup chips)
• Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
• Additional equipment: A foil-lined baking dish or foil pan, approximately 33 x 23 x 5 cm.

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 190°C.
   
   In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Once melted, add the sugar and stir with a wooden spoon (still over low heat) until combined with the melted butter.
2. Combine cocoa powder, flour, baking soda and a pinch of salt, sift the ingredients into a saucepan and, once combined (at this stage you will have a very dry mixture, not completely smooth), remove the saucepan from the heat.
   
   In a bowl or pitcher, whisk together the eggs and vanilla extract, then stir them into the batter in the saucepan.
3. Add the chopped chocolate and quickly transfer the batter, scraping down the edges, to a foil-lined baking pan. Smooth the mixture with a spatula and bake in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes.
   
   The brownie should look dense, dark, and dry on top, but when you touch the surface, it should be gelatinous inside, and a tester should come out with bits of wet dough. That's what you want.
4. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool, then cut the cake into 16 bars and dust them with powdered sugar.
   
   Culinary advice: These brownies can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container. They will keep for up to 5 days. They can also be frozen in an airtight container, lined with parchment paper, for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in a cool place.