Fudgy Cocoa Brownies

Who does not love brownies? They are fudgy gooey chocolaty sin. And there are so many recipes and varieties. I have tried so many kinds of brownies and I have loved each one of them.
Many people ask  me what is the difference between brownies and cakes. True that both use the same basic ingredients such as flour, egg, salt, butter and cocoa powder/chocolate. But the main difference lies in the quantities in which they are used and the difference in texture that arises due to this. Cake recipes use almost twice the amount of flour than brownie recipes. The quantity of cocoa or chocolate in brownies is significantly higher, sometimes as much as or more than the amount of flour. Brownies are not meant to be soft and fluffy and so generally no baking powder or baking soda is used. The baking time is also considerably lesser because you want the centre to be all ooey and gooey.
Some pointers while baking brownies. Beat the eggs really well. This will help develop the cracked top that is so typical of brownies. Do not over beat the batter after you add the flour and cocoa powder. This will aerate the batter and make it light and spongy.
So go ahead and try out this brownie recipe. I have used cocoa powder here because, let us face it, melting the chocolate on a double boiler is a task one can do without on certain days.


Ingredients

½ cup flour
½ cup cocoa powder
½ cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla essence

Preheat the oven at 175 degrees Celsius. Line and grease a brownie tray.
Mix melted butter and sugar and whisk well. Add eggs and beat well. The mixture should become pale in colour. Add the essence and mix.
Gently fold in sifted flour and cocoa powder. Pour the batter into the brownie tray. Bake for 25 minutes.