Recipe archive

I cook the vast majority of my meals from scratch, and have a reputation as being an excellent cook (I do tend to get my friends drunk first, though). Sometimes I create something so spectacular that I document it here...

Double Chocolate Raspberry Ripple Brownies

Firstly, credit where it’s due, this recipe started life as a Flavor Bender recipe; Dini’s brownies were the best I’d ever made and so I use her recipe as the base for all of my brownie creations. The quantities are scaled up (mostly so I don’t have to portion up a UK block of butter) and then adapted to suit – today with a fruity twist.

The best thing about this brownie recipe is that it’s impossible to muck it up. I’ve forgotten about it twice and left it in the oven too long and you just end up with even fudgier brownies! Anyway, I’m not going to waffle too much – you’re here for the goods (please do read Dini’s post if you have time, it breaks down the science of the ingredient ratios, the reason for the different sugars etc.)

Equipment

  • 9 x 9 inch cake pan
  • Baking parchment (greaseproof paper)
  • Big saucepan
  • Whisk

Ingredients

  • 250g salted butter block
  • 190g dark brown sugar
  • 190g caster sugar (granulated would work too)
  • 95g cocoa powder
  • 95g plain flour
  • 250g dark chocolate (cut into chunks — use a food processor for speed!)
  • 1.5 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 3 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam
  • 100-150g fresh raspberries

Method

Preheat your oven to 160 celcius, or 140ish for a fan oven.

Before you do anything else, line your pan/dish with your baking parchment so you don’t turn around at the end with a heavy pan of mix in one hand and realise you forgot.

With the heat down low so as not to burn it, melt your block of butter in your big saucepan, stirring regularly. When melted, stir in the dark brown and caster sugars, whisking slowly at first so you don’t splash molten hot butter on yourself, but getting faster as it comes together to a thick caramelly goo.

Whisk in the vanilla, 1 tablespoon of your rasperry jam, and your eggs and egg yolks — you want to really vigorously whisk here to beat as much air as possible into your mix. This should take a couple of minutes. If you’ve got a fancy powered whisk, lucky you because this is a forearm wrecker!

Once your mix is looking thick and luscious, whisk in your cocoa powder, then very VERY gently fold in your flour. Do not over-mix your flour.

When that’s all just about mixed together, fold in roughly half your chocolate pieces and half your fresh raspberries and mix together, and pour into your lined pan. Distribute the remaining half of your chocolate pieces and fresh raspberries over the brownie mix.

Heat the two leftover tablespoons of jam in a microwave for approx 30-40 seconds then drizzle over the top. If you don’t have a microwave, just blob the jam over the mix, it’ll melt in as the brownies cook anyway.

Pop in the oven and cook for 45 mins for lovely gooey brownies, or 50-55 minutes for slightly firmer brownies.

Remove from the oven and lift from the pan using your parchment, and cool on a rack (on the parchment). Serve while still warm with vanilla ice cream.


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