Brownies and Bling - Mother's Day Treats

As I type this my house smells like Wonka's chocolate factory. It is incredible. The little Wrens have friends coming for tea, so I am baking brownies. For the kids, you understand, because I'm just selfless like that. I may have made a rather enormous batch. Well it is 'Stuff-Mother's-face-full-of-chocolate-Day' on Sunday and apart from the odd very sporadic weekend loaf by Mr Wren I am the only baker in this house so I need to make sure we (I) are chocolate-filled.

Here is that recipe - any Mother in her right mind would be thrilled to receive a box of these on Sunday. Heck, any Mother in her wrong mind would too!

Chocolate Hazelnut Brownies


250g soft unsalted butter
250g good dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
4 large eggs
1 dessertspoon vanilla extract
330g caster sugar
150g plain flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
150g hazelnuts bashed with a wooden spoon into varying sizes

One 23cm square brownie tin, base & sides lined

- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C
- In a heavy bottomed saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate together, leave to cool a little
- In a large-ish bowl, beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla together
- In another bowl, measure out the flour and add the salt.
- Add the egg & sugar mixture to the chocolate. Beat well. Beat in the flour and nuts. When combined, pour and scrape into the brownie tin.
- Bake for about 25 minutes. But keep an eye on it. I'd rather have no brownie than a dense, dry, overcooked one so keep checking after 20 minutes. The top should be dried and paler but the middle should still be gooey. Mmmmm.
- Let cool in the tin before removing and cutting into squares.

These are crazily easy to make, you have no excuses. Go forth and make your Mums happy....

Whilst we're on the subject of keeping mums happy, here is my Mother's Day wishlist. I've rather shot myself in the foot by putting this post up too late for Mr Wren to do anything about it, but - hey! There's always next year!

Daisy Jewellery Alpha Ring

I would love one of these stacked with the initials of each of my babies. Just beautiful....

Alex Monroe 'Hooray' Script Necklace

And this - because it's exactly what I think every day when my little Wrens come running out of school into my open arms. "Hooray for me! - I made those gorgeous little creatures".

And to all the other Mums out there - hooray for you too. Happy Mother's Day Everyone.