A good recipe: The best chocolate brownies

I've been making this "Bonfire Brownies" recipe since it was aired on UK children's TV institution Blue Peter in the early 00s, and I maintain it's still the best brownie recipe. Chewy and delicious. I recommend freezing them and eating them straight out of the freezer (I discovered this when my mum used to put them in the freezer to keep them out of the way of temptation, and I'd nick them when she wasn't looking). There's nothing bonfire-specific about it, they're chocolate brownies and I suppose the episode aired around 5th November, but they're fucking great.

Look, I don't have any photos of this, but you've just got to take my word for it.

Makes 12

Ingredients

100g unsalted butter
225g golden caster sugar (or regular caster sugar)
40g cocoa powder
2 eggs
50g self-raising flour
50g chocolate chips
1/2 tsp vanilla essence (optional)

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Grease and line a 20cm square brownie tin.

In a large bowl beat the eggs, add the sugar and mix together until smooth.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Sift in the cocoa powder and mix. Add this mixture along with the vanilla essence (if using) to the egg and sugar mixture.

Sift the flour into the wet ingredients and mix together until smooth. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Pour into the brownie tin, and put in the oven. Cook for around 20-25 mins, until the top is a darker brown (but watch it doesn't burn!).

Leave to cool in the tin for 5-10 mins, then carefully turn out onto a cooling rack. For best results, wait until they're completely cooled to slice.