Chocolate Brownie

This is one of the first chocolate cakes I baked in my oven. It is a no-fail easy recipe and I vouch by it.

You can easily double the recipe, but you might want to reduce the sugar, as it can get too sweet.
Powder your sugar, then measure it.
Measure the other ingredients and keep them ready.

If you do not have cocoa powder, do not worry, make a Blondie instead of a brownie!

When I bake the below quantity of ingredients, I use a loaf tin. And when I double the recipe, I use a square tin. As both my tins are non-stick, I just grease the tins. If you are using Aluminium tins, then you MUST line the tin with butter paper and grease it again. Keep the tins also ready.
Preheat the oven for 10 minutes at 180 C.
By the time the 10 minutes are up, the batter will be ready.

Ingredients:
Sugar - 1 cup, powdered (can be reduced to 3/4 cup)

Fat (vegetable oil / butter at room temperature) - 1/2 cup

Cocoa powder - 1/3 cup

Eggs - 2

Vanilla / bourbon essence - 1 tsp

Flour - 2/3 cup

Baking powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt - a pinch

Chopped almonds / walnuts - 1/2 cup (optional)

Method:

Preheat oven at 180 C for 10 minutes.
Sieve together flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder. Mix in the some or all the chopped nuts and keep aside.

Beat the butter / oil and sugar until creamy and add eggs one at a time. Beat well.

Add the essence and mix well.
Add the sieved powders and fold well into the mixture. Do not beat.

Pour into the greased tray and decorate with any left over nuts.

Bake for 25 - 30 minutes at 180C.

Cool for 30 minutes, un-mould, cut into slices and dust with some powdered sugar or glaze with chocolate syrup.

Tastes great when served warm with vanilla ice-cream.
Great as an afternoon treat too.