Brownie Bars

125g butter (you can use 50% less fat butter successfully too - I used Devondale Light)

6 Tablespoons cocoa

1 cup sugar (brown or white)

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

2 eggs

3/4 cup sifted plain flour

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2-1 cup chopped nuts, salted peanuts, or sultanas

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius.
2. Melt butter and cocoa in a saucepan, stirring. Leave to cool.
3. Add sugar and vanilla essence to saucepan and stir in.
4. Add eggs and beat mixture well.
5. Sift flour, salt and baking powder into the saucepan and mix well.
6. Add nuts or sultanas and stir in well. Note: if adding salted peanuts, only add 1/4 teaspoon salt.
7. Pour in a 20cm square tin and bake in moderate oven for 30 minutes.
8. Cut into squares while still warm, but leave in the tin to cool.
9. Sprinkle with icing sugar, or ice with chocolate icing. Serve.