Donal Skehan’s chocolate brownies
It’s the only time of the year where it’s socially acceptable to have chocolate for breakfast, so Donal’s transporting us to chocolate heaven this morning. He’s showing you how to give new life to your leftover treats - by transforming them into delicious chocolate brownies.
‘Quality’ chocolate brownies
Makes 16 Squares
Ingredients
For the brownies:200g leftover chocolate, broken into pieces150g unsalted butter, softened275g golden caster sugar3 large free-range eggs1 tsp vanilla bean paste150g plain flour
For the frosting: 50g butter, softened225g cream cheese160g icing sugar, sifted 25g cocoa powder, sifted
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4 and grease and line a 20cm (8 inch) square tin with baking parchment.
2. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of just simmering water. Set aside to cool a little bit.
3. With a hand-held electric whisk, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat the eggs together in a small jug then gradually pour them into the butter and sugar mixture, whisking the whole time until you have a fluffy smooth mix. Beat in the vanilla bean pasta and then the flour.
4. Gently fold in the melted chocolate, then pour into the lined tin.
5. Bake the brownies for 35-40 minutes so that a skewer comes out almost clean but still a little bit sticky. Leave to cool completely in the tin.
6. While the brownie is cooling, prepare the frosting. Beat together the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer until pale and creamy, for about 4 minutes.
7. Add the icing sugar and cocoa to the frosting and fold through with a spatula. It should have a thick and spreadable consistency.
8. Once the brownie has cooled, spread over the frosting and cut into squares.