Another day, another recipe

This is my husband's favourite recipe, but unfortunately I have been having an ongoing argument with our new oven and I am yet to win. The problem is that we switched from electric to gas, and I have learnt the hard way that good chocolate brownie needs a nice dry, electric oven. Something I no longer possess.

I have tried again today, but alas, it's still not "right". It is perfectly acceptable, in fact it's downright scrumptious but it's not how it used to be.

I'm beginning to come to the conclusion that we either need a new oven, or I need to accept this change to my beloved brownie. The new oven I fear, is a little too drastic even for me.

So, for those of you who are lucky enough to own the coveted electric oven, preset it now to 180c and grab a mixing bowl...

Chocolate Fudge Brownie:

100g dark chocolate chips
3 eggs
3 tbs low-fat cocoa powder
275g caster sugar
125g salted butter (at room temperature)
25g plain flour
50g self raising flour
0.5tsp vanilla extract


The method:

• Preheat your electric oven to 180c and line/grease an 8 inch square cake tin.
• Cream the sugar and butter together in a bowl until they are smooth and resemble creamy mashed potato.
• Add the vanilla to the mixture.
• Beat the eggs together in a cup/jug and add to the sugar/butter mixture, a little at a time.
• Sieve the two flours and the cocoa into the bowl and mix together well.
• Melt the chocolate chips and stir into the mixture until fully incorporated.
• Pour into your tin and smooth over the top with the back of your spoon.
• Bake for 35 minutes. The top with form a crust.
• Allow to cool for 30 minutes before removing from the tin and placing on a rack to cool fully.
• Slice and serve!

Obviously, feel free to give it a try in a gas oven. Every attempt I have made so far has resulted in a liquid, non-set centre, a burnt edge around the crust or a combination of the two. I have tried baking for longer at the same heat, baking for the same time at a higher temperature, baking for longer at a higher temperature. I am now running out of options!

I feel that what I need would require more brain cells than are resident in my skull. I need an inventor to create something to pop into my oven to take the moisture out of it. You counteract a dry elecrtic oven with a small dish of water in the bottom to add moisture, but how on earth do you remove that same moisture from a gas oven?