Preparation Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 200 g good quality dark chocolate
• 170 g unsalted butter
• 15 g cocoa powder
• 3 large eggs, plus one extra yolk
• 150 g caster sugar
• 100 g light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 70 g plain flour (gluten free plain flour works just as well)
• 55 g wholemeal plain flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 packets/400 g original Tim Tams (available Australia wide, or in specialty supermarkets internationally)

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C/340°F fan-forced. Grease and line a (roughly) 28 cm x 15 cm slice tin.
2. In a medium heatproof bowl, stir the chocolate and butter over a pot of simmering water until almost melted. Remove from heat and stir in the cocoa powder until the mixture is smooth and all of the chocolate and butter has melted. Allow to cool until lukewarm.
3. Meanwhile, beat the eggs and sugars in a medium bowl on high speed for 5 minutes until light and creamy. Scrape down the bowl with a spatula every few minutes. Add the vanilla and beat for another 30 seconds.
4. Gently fold the cooled chocolate mixture into the eggs and sugar with a large metal spoon. Sift the flour and salt over the mixture, and carefully fold through until everything is just combined.
5. Pour half of the batter into the prepared tin. Lay the Tim Tams evenly over the surface, roughly in a 3 x 7 arrangement. Pour the remaining brownie batter over the top, and smooth the surface with a butter knife or offset spatula.
6. Bake the brownies on the oven’s central rack for 30-35 minutes until a metal skewer comes out clean but very moist. Take care not to overcook the brownies, from the 30 minute mark they will quickly change from ‘fudgey’ to ‘cakey’.
7. Allow the brownie slab to cool in the tin until just warm to the touch. Lift the brownie slab from the tin, and cut into bars with a sharp knife. Best served warm with a big glass of milk!

Store brownies covered and refrigerated for up to 5 days.