Chocolate and Dried Pear Brownies

Ingredients

• 300 grams Dark chocolate (70%)
• 250 grams Butter, chopped
• 4 Eggs
• 2 Egg yolks
• 200 grams Brown sugar
• 60 grams Plain flour
• 40 grams Cocoa powder
• 2 cups Dried pears, chopped. Soak in water first if dry.

Directions

1. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 180* (I preheated my conventional oven to nearly 200*).
2. Place a heat-proof bowl containing the chopped dark chocolate and butter over a saucepan of simmering water.  Be careful that the boiling water does not touch the bottom of the bowl, or else the chocolate will burn.  Melt, stirring occasionally to ensure the chocolate and butter melt together.  Put to one side to cool slightly.
3. In another bowl, beat together the eggs, egg yolks and sugar with an electric mixture.  It should end up thick and pale.  Maggie suggests that when you run a spatula through the mixture a trail will remain.
4. Stir in the cooled chocolate mixture, then fold in the sifted flour and cocoa, followed by the pears.
5. Grease a large baking tin (I used a 20cm square cake tin), then pour in the mixture.
6. Bake for 30 minutes, then reduce the heat by 20* (So I reduced in to 180*) and cook for another 15 to 20 minutes, depending on how fudgy you like your brownies.
7. You’ll be able to tell it’s cooked if it cracks a little at the edges, the centre is springy and a skewer comes out only slightly sticky.
8. I served our brownie with vanilla ice cream on the side.