Chocolate-less Brownies

I had come across a recipe for brownies - which only used cocoa powder (no chocolate needed). So whilst i am in my "try to use up all my baking ingredients in my pantry before they go off" phase, this recipe was perfect for using up my cocoa powder :O)

I found this recipe here, but you can also find it here, here & here.

I couldn't find my brownie pan & panicked (this is after i started mixing the ingredients together) so all i could find to use was a loaf tin... so i frantically jumped online to look for forums/blogs/anything that would tell me the baking time of a brownie if it was baked in a loaf tin instead (thanks Lorraine for replying to my email!! you were the first person i thought to ask hehe).

Then i found this link, and sighed a great sigh of relief hehe..

These brownies were soo quick & easy to make and bake, were superbly dense, and i had positive comments from everyone who tried them :O)

Cocoa Brownies

150g (5oz) unsalted butter

1 1/4C (255g or 9oz) sugar

3/4C (80g or 2 7/8 oz) cocoa powder

pinch salt

1t vanilla extract

2 eggs

1/2C (75g or 2 1/2oz) plain flour

1C chopped nuts, such as hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts or pecans, optional

Preheat oven to 160C (325F). Line a loaf tin 24cm x 12cm (approx 9 1/2in x 5in) with baking paper or foil so that it overlaps the sides.

Melt butter in a medium saucepan. When just melted, remove from the heat and stir through sugar. Add cocoa powder and stir until well combined and any lumps are gone.

Add vanilla, salt and eggs and mix well. Gently fold through flour until only just combined – don’t over mix. Stir through nuts if using then pour into the loaf tin.

Bake for 50 minutes to and hour. Or until the top feels just set and a skewer inserted into the middle emerges slightly moist.

Cool in the tin then either cut or refrigerate overnight and cut the next day.