Roxanne's Chocolate Brownie Bites

As I am officially 'off cake' for Lent (I'm going to have to make an exception for birthday cake), I decided brownies didn't count and so set about making some. I couldn't find a recipe that I really liked, but I very loosely used 'Fifteen Chocolate Brownies' from Cook with Jamie, I used almost the same ingredients but altered the measurements significantly. Although brownies should be a treat, his were a heart attack waiting to happen...these ones are wheat-free so perfect for anyone intolerant.

Roxanne's Chocolate Brownie Bites

Ingredients
250g butter

150g Green & Black's milk chocolate

1 Mars bar (you can use an extra 50g of normal chocolate if you don't have a mars bar)

30g cocoa powder

100g plain spelt flour (normal wheat flour would be fine)
1 tsp wheat-free baking powder (again, normal is fine)
250g sugar

4 organic eggs, beaten

75g mixed nuts, roughly chopped (optional)

2 packs Smarties

Step 1

Melt the butter and chocolate in a bowl over simmering water. Mix until smooth and then take off the heat.

Step 2

Meanwhile, in a separate bowl put the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder and sugar. When the chocolate is melted mix with the dry ingredients.

Step 3

Add the beaten eggs.

Step 4

I added nuts to only half of my brownie mixture (my sisters aren't keen), so I spooned half of the mixture into a 25 x 35 cm lined tin, and then added the nuts to the remaining half before spooning it into the other side of the tin. If you want nuts in all of the brownies simply double the quantity to 150g.

Step 5

Drop smarties into lines on to the top of the brownies, this will make it easier to cut into equal chunks when it is cooled. (Sadly, this didn't work! The smarties sunk to the bottom of the brownies, and although gave a nice crunch every now and then were nowhere to be seen! - If anyone has any suggestions of another way of doing this let me know, perhaps adding them half way through the cooking?!)

Step 5

Bake in a 180°C/gas 4 pre-heated oven for 25 minutes. It is important with brownies to trust your own instincts for when they are ready. Each oven is different and so times may vary. The brownies should be springy to the touch and coming away from the tin slightly. However, a skewer shouldn't come out clean as the chocolate will set when cooled and they will end up too dry.

Step 6
Allow to cool in the tin, then turn out onto a wooden board and cut into 3-4cm squares (mine made 66 bites altogether). Enoy with a glass of milk, or when a few days old with custard.