Cookies and Cream Fudge Brownies!!

Tonight myself and a few other girlfriends are going around to our mutual friend's place for a catch up and to meet her little girl; born last week. I thought for a girls night in we needed chocolate! I found this recipe in the You Magazine just like the previous post (Pineapple Muffins). This recipe originally was published in Baking Made Easy by Lorraine Pascale, a book I don't actually own!

Here's what happened...this recipe calls for a 8 in (20cm) baking tin. I only have a 9in (22/23cm) so that's what I used. I wouldn't suggest it. These are still really yummy, but they aren't as thick. I also wasn't thinking and I didn't adjust the baking time. The top cracked badly! It could be one of 3 things: 1. baking time 2. the instructions in step 3 it tells you to whisk the eggs etc... I may have over whisked or 3. because I used double stuffed Oreos which weigh 185g not 154g. I still just added them all. I won't know unless or until I make them again. Anyone else have any other theories?

see it's all cracked

I should have grabbed some ice cream or cream for these brownies as it would have made a perfect dessert! Like I said they were very yummy, they just didn't turn out very nice looking so I could take a nice picture for everyone! ;0) I guess I might have to invest in an 8in (20cm) square tin. I'm finding a lot of brownie recipes call for it. humpf.

• 165g butter plus extra for greasing
• 200g dark chocolate grated or finely chopped
• 3 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• seeds of 1 vanilla pod or 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 165g soft light brown sugar
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• pinch of salt
• 154g pack of Oreo biscuits broken into quarters (I used double stuffed)
• icing sugar for dusting

1 x 20cm square baking tin

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 with the middle shelf ready. Grease the baking tin, then line with baking paper – leave it overlapping the sides a little.
2. Melt the butter in a pan over a medium heat. When the butter has melted, remove the pan from the heat and add the grated chocolate. Leave to stand for a few minutes until the chocolate goes soft then stir together. Alternatively, you can put the chocolate and butter in a bowl and melt in the microwave in 25-second blasts, stirring well each time.
3. Whisk the eggs, egg yolks and vanilla together in a large bowl until they begin to get light and fluffy. Add the sugar in two additions, whisking between each. Pour it around the side of the egg mix so as not to knock out the air that has been whisked into it. Keep whisking until the mixture becomes stiffer. Once the egg mixture is ready pour the chocolate into it, again around the sides so as not to knock the air out.
4. Add the flour, cocoa powder, salt and a third of the Oreos and stir until fully combined, then pour the mixture into the prepared tin. Scatter the remaining Oreos over the top, pressing them in slightly. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes. The middle should be very slightly gooey.



looks normal






but the whole top comes off






still delicious!

5. Leave to cool in the tin. The top will sink and crack a little. (Mine cracked a lot!!) Pull the brownies out using the overlapping paper and cut into squares. Dust with icing sugar.

VARIATION Instead of Oreos you could use toasted walnuts, pecans or sprinkle the brownies with honeycomb.

note: published in YOU, Mail on Sunday; find it here.