Cakes & biscuits
Chocolate brownies with a thin glaze
Dense dark-chocolate brownies finished with a smooth chocolate layer.
- Total time
- 140 min
- Servings / pieces
- 16
- Topic
- Cakes & biscuits
Brownies do not need the aeration of a sponge cake. Plenty of chocolate, a modest amount of flour and careful timing create their dense middle. This version receives a thin glaze after cooling; a warm knife then cuts it neatly. A metal tin transfers heat faster than thick glass, so the timing below assumes metal. Use the middle oven shelf and start checking before the end of the suggested window. Look for a moist interior rather than liquid batter.
Method
Step by step
- 01
Prepare
Line the tin. Heat the oven to 175°C conventional. Melt 200 g chocolate with the butter over low heat and leave until lukewarm.
- 02
Combine
Whisk the eggs and sugar for about one minute, without whipping them into a foam. Stir in the lukewarm chocolate mixture until evenly coloured.
- 03
Fold
Combine flour, cocoa and salt. Fold in with a spatula just until the dry patches disappear. Spread the batter right into the corners of the tin.
- 04
Bake
Bake for 24–29 minutes. The edges should be set and a skewer from the centre should carry damp crumbs, without a coating of shiny liquid batter.
- 05
Glaze
Cool completely. Heat the cream, pour over 100 g chopped chocolate and stir smooth. Spread over the brownies, leave to set for 30 minutes, then cut into 16 squares.
Times are a guide. Your hob, oven and ingredients affect the result; use the cooking cues as well as the clock.
Choosing chocolate
Very dark chocolate changes the sweetness considerably. Keep within the 60–70 % range for this formula. Both baking chocolate and ordinary dark chocolate work; compound chocolate coating has a different flavour and melting behaviour.
Neat portions
Lift the cold slab out using the paper. Dip a long knife into hot water and dry it before each cut. Small squares work well beside unsweetened coffee or fresh raspberries; the glaze already supplies plenty of richness.
Kitchen questions
One more question?
Why did the brownies turn dry?
They were probably baked too long. A completely clean skewer is the wrong finishing cue for this style of brownie.
Can I omit the glaze?
Yes. Keep the baking time unchanged and slice the completely cooled slab directly. The glaze is an additional finishing layer.
How should I freeze glazed portions?
Let the glaze set first. Freeze pieces separately before packing together, so the chocolate surfaces do not stick when you remove individual portions.
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