Chocolate and Pistachio Brownies

Brownies should be crisp on the outside, moist in the middle, incredibly bad for your waistline and truly irresistable.

• 255g dark chocolate

• 255g butter

• 1tsp vanilla essence

• 280g soft brown sugar

• 280g castor sugar

• 5 eggs, beaten

• 280g plain flour

• 2tsp baking powder

• ½tsp salt

• 80g pistachio nuts, peeled

Ingredients for 12 brownies

1) In a heavy-based saucepan gently melt the chocolate, butter and vanilla essence over a low heat, then add both sugars and melt again, transfer to a large bowl and stir in the beaten eggs.

2) Sift the flour, baking powder and salt and fold these in.

3) Finally add in the pistachio nuts, then pour the mixture into an oiled and lined cake tin.

4) Cook in the oven at 170C for 30 minutes.

5) Cool then cut into neat fingers or diamonds.