The best chocolate fudge brownies ever!

* Organic powdered sugar 2 cups*
* Organic brown sugar 1/4 cup *
* Unsalted butter 8oz *
* Giredelli (or cooking chocolate) chocolate bars broken into pieces 8oz*
* Unbleached all purpose/self raising flour 1 1/4 cups *
* Free roaming/free range eggs x2 *
* Cocoa 1 1/4 cups *
* Organic vanilla essence 1 tbsp *


I used powdered (confectioner's) sugar mixed with a little brown sugar and it gave a lovely consistency. Simmer sugar and butter on a low temperature but don't allow to bubble. Allow to cool a little then repeat (which will give you a lovely sheen to the top of the brownies). Transfer to a bowl, mixing in eggs, flour, vanilla and chocolate. Fill a 12x8 greased baking tin. Bake 345F for 28 mins. Test with a toothpick 2" from the edge: if it comes out clear, theyr'e ready! I like to use organic to reduce the pesticides put into the Earth and to steer away from heavily refined produce and high fructose corn syrup. Why the latter and vegetable oil should be ingredients in a shop-bought or packet mix brownie, I don't know! But use what's available to you. You can also try using salted butter or unsalted with 1 tsp salt, but this is how I prefer them to be made. By keeping the chocolate as broken pieces, the pieces will melt in the oven and cool as seeped in chocolate parcels. Delicious! You can cut the brownies when they're still warm by using a plastic knife.

I'm working on a book of my own recipes to give to the boys for the future. For many years, I didn't have much of an opportunity to cook, but am enjoying it now to encourage Reuben to learn about food, to teach the boys to cook and to cook for Callum. The above ones were destined for Victoria and Justin over this impossibly difficult weekend.