Now that fall has arrived, I feel like having more chocolate. The wonderful peaches of summer are gone and although I love apples and pears in desserts, I am now also starting to crave chocolate. I wanted something that would provide instant gratification and what's easier to make than a brownie?

It rained last night, and I love to curl up on the sofa with a blanket and something to read. Yesterday my reading material was a cookbook, or two, or three. I started flipping though Linda Collister's "Brownies" and thought brownies would be perfect. I took Linda's basic brownie recipe and tweeked it a bit to my taste.

I love a "perfect" brownie, but then who doesn't? I've had dry brownies, salty brownies, bad-quality-chocolate brownies, and under-baked brownies. Rarely do I come across one that is perfect- for me. But this recipe is.

Brownies (adapted from Linda Collister)

200 g good-quality dark chocolate

150 g unsalted butter, softened

300 g all natural raw sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

4 eggs

170 g all purpose flour

4 Tbs cocoa powder

200 g walnuts, roughly chopped

100 g good-quality dark chocolate, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 180° C (350° F). Break the 200 g of chocolate in put into a heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water and melt the chocolate. Stir frequently. Remove the bowl from heat and cool.

Put the butter in a mixing a bowl and beat until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat until soft and creamy. Gradually beat in the eggs and then the melted chocolate.

Sift in the flour and cocoa and mix. When thoroughly combined, stir in the nuts and chocolate pieces. Transfer into a baking dish which has been lined with parchment paper. Spread evenly.

Bake in the oven for 30 min or until a skewer comes out fairly clean (with little crumbs attached). Leave to cool in the dish until just warm. Cut into pieces and serve plain, with whipped cream or vanilla ice-cream. For the ultimate chocolate feeling add warm very good quality chocolate sauce. These can be stored in an airtight container.