A rather wonderful recipe book landed with a rich chocolately
thump on our desk today: the Divine Chocolate Cookbook - Heavenly
chocolate recipes with a heart, by Linda Collister.
Inside are recipes for all sorts of treats, from cookies and
brownies to cakes, mousses and ice creams and even a few savoury
dishes (cocoa-dusted scallops, anyone?).
What with all the long chilly evenings right now and Christmas
on the way, it really is the perfect time for these recipes; why
not make some of the goodies inside and give them to friends?
And as luck would have it, the lovely people at Absolute Press
have sent us a recipe from the book to share with you. We hope you
enjoy it! Oh, and feel free to send any leftovers in to us here at
the DIVA office....
Divine Brownies
No nuts, no coffee, nothing added to these brownies to distract
from the main attraction - dark chocolate and cocoa. Take care
not to overcook, brownies are meant to be gooey in the
middle - it's what makes them so gorgeous to eat!
Makes 24 pieces
2 x 100g (31/2oz) bars Divine dark chocolate
100g (1 stick) unsalted butter, very soft
250g (11/4 cup) caster sugar
4 large free range eggs, beaten to mix
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
60g (1/2 cup) plain flour
60g (2/3 cup) Divine cocoa powder
20.5 x 25.5cm (8 x 10-inch) brownie tin or baking tin greased
and base-lined
Heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
Break up the dark chocolate. Put into a heatproof bowl and melt
gently.
Remove the bowl from the heat and leave to cool until needed.
Put the butter and sugar into the bowl of a food mixer and
beat until fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, beating well
after each addition. Beat in the vanilla essence. Spoon the cooled
melted chocolate onto the mixture then mix in thoroughly. Sift the
flour and cocoa onto the mixture and gently stir in. When
completely combined spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and
spread evenly.
Bake in the heated oven for about 20 minutes until firm to the
touch but still a bit fudgy - the chocolate will continue to cook
slightly for a few minutes after coming out of the oven.
Remove the tin from the oven and set on a wire cooling rack.
Leave to cool completely before cutting into pieces. Delicious
eaten warm with ice-cream.
Store in an airtight container and eat within 4 days.
RECIPE TAKEN FROM THE DIVINE CHOCOLATE BOOK BY LINDA
COLLISTER WITH PHOTOGRAPHS BY LISA BARBER (ABSOLUTE PRESS
£14.99)
