Rich, chocolatey brownies with a soft, fudgy centre and crisp top. Simple to make and always reliable. Perfect for a weekend treat or sharing.

Makes 12-16 squares, 325-240 kcal each

Ingredients
115 g butter
115 g plain milk chocolate, broken into pieces
300 g caster sugar
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
140 g plain flour
3 tbsp cocoa powder (about 21 g)
100 g white chocolate chips

Method
Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Line an 18cm square tin with baking paper.

Place the butter and milk chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water (bain marie). Stir until melted and smooth, then remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

Stir in the caster sugar, salt and vanilla until well combined.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition until smooth and glossy.

Sift in the flour and cocoa powder. Gently fold into the mixture until just smooth. Fold in the white chocolate chips.
Pour into the prepared tin and smooth the top.Bake for 30–40 minutes, depending on how you like your brownies

The top should look set with a slight crackle, but the centre should still feel slightly soft. T he brownies will continue to firm up as they cool. Cool before slicing.

Tips & Substitutions

These brownies are very forgiving and you can adjust the texture to your liking:
– 30 minutes → soft, fudgy centre
– 35 minutes → balanced, slightly gooey
– 40 minutes → more cakey, firm brownies

These brownies are easy to customise. You can swap the white chocolate chips for any of the following:
– dark chocolate chips or chunks
-dried cranberries or cherries
– chopped nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds)
– biscuit crumble
– fudge pieces
– mini marshmallows
You can also mix and match! Just aim to keep the total quantity around 100g so the texture stays balanced.

You can easily turn this into a blondie while keeping very close to the original recipe:
– Replace the milk chocolate with white chocolate
– Omit the cocoa powder
– Add an extra 20 g flour to keep the texture balanced
Everything else stays the same! White chocolate chips, nuts, or dried fruit work especially well in this version.

A few extra helpful tips:
Do not overmix once the flour is added — fold gently for a softer texture
Let them cool before slicing — this helps them set and gives cleaner squares
Line the tin well with baking paper so they lift out easily