Ingredients

145g/ 5oz

darkly divine chocolate

260g/ 9oz

butter (ideally unsalted), at room temperature

5 medium

eggs, lightly beaten when at room temperature

250g/ 1¼ cups

caster sugar

140g/ 5oz / 1 cup

plain flour (all purpose flour)

145g/ 5oz / 1¼ cups

pecan nuts

Method

Preheat the oven to 180oC / 350oF. Lightly oil a 24 x 30cm (9x 12 inch) baking tray and put a piece of baking paper on the base.
Melt the dark chocolate in a bowl over boiling water. Remove from the heat and leave to cool until still slightly warm when you touch.
Roughly chop the pecan nuts and place on a baking tray. Place into the oven and toast for about 10 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.
In a medium sized mixing bowl, beat the butter with a flexible spatula until smooth and creamy. You can use a mixer for this but be careful not to add much (or any) air as this is a moist, but not a fluffy brownie.
Stir in the eggs gradually until mixed through. Now add the caster sugar and thoroughly mix, followed by the flour and pecan nuts, stirring until well mixed through, but not aerated.
Scoop the brownie batter into the baking tray and smooth the top with a metal spatula. Bake for 20 - 22 minutes, so that a skewer comes out of the centre still damp. Cool on a wire rack for 20 to 30 minutes.
Run a knife around the edge of the baking tray and carefully take the brownies out of the baking tray. Take off the baking parchment and allow to cool fully the right way up. When ready cut up into 18 to 20 brownies.