The mascot and logo of my eldest son’s school is a striking Wyvern dragon in the school colours of black and white. So, it is fitting that I baked a batch of brownies studded with white chocolate chips for his school’s annual fair this Saturday. These Black and White Chocolate Brownies are moist and rich in flavour which intensifies when baked a couple of days before they are eaten. I followed my usual favourite recipe for brownies and then added the surprising additional crunch factor by sprinkling a bag of Cadbury white chocolate chips over the batter just before placing in the oven.
I found the gingham cupcake wrappers in the baking section of Coles supermarket and find they are an eye-catching, easy and hygienic way to package and present bite sized baked goods at a school event.
My children went to sleep with the aroma of chocolate and vanilla wafting through the house, although they did try to convince me that sleep would only come about if they could top up their tummies with a brownie or two. I suggested they snuggle up and sleep without the bedtime brownie or risk missing out completely on having one tucked into their lunch boxes tomorrow. Hah, it actually worked! Gosh my house is quiet when my brood is in bed.
Ingredients
375 g soft unsalted butter
300 g best quality dark chocolate. I use chocolate with a minimum of 70% cocoa butter like the Lindt dark variety. Whenever it is on special in the supermarket I stock up.
6 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
500 g caster sugar (well, it is a treat not a salad!)
225 g plain flour
250 g white chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees conventional setting. Butter the brownie pan measuring about 23 cm x 33 cm and also line it with baking paper. I overhang the paper slightly along the length of the pan which makes it easier to lift out the finished brownie slab for slicing.
Melt together the butter and chocolate either over a double boiler on the stove or in the microwave. Tip – you must keep a close watch to prevent the chocolate from burning as these appliances vary in strength. It takes about 2 minutes in my microwave but I stop this halfway through to stir the contents. If you are not confident doing this in the microwave then use a saucepan over a low heat and stir continuously.
In a separate large bowl, beat together the eggs, vanilla, caster sugar, flour, salt and cocoa. Slowly beat in the buttery chocolate mixture until combined and smooth. At this point please resist the urge to dip a large spoon into the bowl to eat the raw mixture. Yes, the batter is tempting but so much better once baked.
Using a spatula, scrape the mixture into the pan. Sprinkle over the chocolate chips and using a fork, press them gently in the batter. Bake for 30 minutes. No longer or you risk having dry brownies, nasty! The brownies are ready once the mixture just comes away from the sides of the pan, the top develops a slightly cracked appearance and the most divine chocolaty aroma fills your home. * Check the brownies after 25 minutes because ovens do vary.
I leave the brownies to cool in the pan for an hour, before lifting out the slab and cutting into squares. I end up with 48 small but satisfying pieces, or 36 generous squares, depending on how I cut the brownies or who will be eating them.
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