Gluten free one bowl brownie (Make 8 pieces)

A gluten-free brownie that asks for one bowl and a spatula. Gluten-free self-raising flour, cocoa, both brown and caster sugar for depth, melted butter, eggs, a tablespoon of vanilla bean paste and chopped chocolate folded through. The fudgy kind, not the cakey kind.

The brown sugar is the upgrade. Where caster alone gives a cakey crumb, the molasses in brown sugar pulls the brownie towards the chewy-fudge end of the spectrum, the texture that defines the American bakery brownie at its best. Melted butter rather than creamed keeps it dense.

Gluten-free flour blends tend to absorb more liquid than wheat flour, so the egg ratio here is generous (three eggs to a cup of flour) to keep the batter wet. Underbaking by two minutes is the secret to a proper fudge centre; pull it from the oven when the top is set but the middle still wobbles slightly.

Line the tin with baking paper and lift the whole slab out to cool before cutting. The brownie firms up as it cools, slicing cleaner after an hour in the fridge. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a coffee on the side.