Gooey chocolate comfort...

I was never really a  fan of brownies until recently.. I always found them too sweet or too chocolatey (is there such a thing as too chocolatey?!) A good friend of mine is addicted to brownies and was always asking for them when I'd visit. Since I'm such a good friend, I obliged, and after several batches of these amazingly rich and gooey treats, they're ready to be shared ...

For the brownie:
250g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids) .. Always use the best ingredients you can afford, remember the expression about the silk purse and pigs ear?!
170g butter
200g caster sugar
3 large eggs
150g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp peppermint essence
2 bars of Frys Peppermint cream roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 170 degrees (fan oven) and grease and line square brownie pan.
Melt dark chocolate and butter together in a heat proof bowl set over simmering water. Once melted, remove from the heat and stir in the sugar.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add peppermint essence.
Stir in sieved flour and baking powder. Finally mix in chopped mint chocolate.
Pour into prepared tin, and bake for 30-35 minutes. They should be a little squidgy, but that's fine because you want a fudgey gooey brownie :)
Turn off the oven. (I know that's obvious after baking, but I do have my reasons for being so particular!)

For the topping:
100g mint chocolate
100g mini marshmallows

Immediately after taking the brownies from the oven, cover the top in chopped mint chocolate (Frys Peppermint cream or After Eights). Sprinkle mini marshmallows on top.

Yes, the corner is missing... it 'fell' off...tragic accident! 

Place tray back in the oven (the oven is turned off, but still hot... we don't want to overcook the brownies, so the residual heat in the oven will be enough to melt the sweets, and give a gooey topping. You can use a blowtorch if you have one handy...

Browned and gooey after blow torch treatment...

Once the sweets are melted, remove from the oven and cut into squares... taste immediately (very important step!)

These brownies are gorgeous, they're rich and fudgy, and the sweet minty topping cuts through the rich chocolate perfectly.

They're just as delicious if you leave out the peppermint, and add in white chocolate chunks and raspberries or nuts... You can adapt the recipe to use whatever sweets you have in the house. I've added nuts, maltesers, oreos, orange zest... play with the recipe and find what works for you!

Be sure to let me know what you think!