Chocolate, Raspberry & Sea Salt Brownies
These are irresistibly fudgy and combine one of my favourite pairings – chocolate and raspberries – not to mention a touch of sea salt.
Servings
24 large or 48 small
Preparation time
15 mintues
Cooking time
30 minutes
Ingredients
- 325g butter, diced
- 125g cocoa powder
- 4 eggs
- 500g caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 250g plain flour
- 250g fresh raspberries
- a few sea salt flakes
- To decorate (optional:)
- icing sugar
- freeze-dried raspberry powder (and/ or freeze-dried raspberry pieces)
- fresh or dried edible flowers, such as fresh borage or viola flowers or dried rose petals
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line a 30 x 23 x 2.5cm baking tin with baking parchment, foil, or better still, foil-lined baking parchment, which is easier to handle. It is simpler to line a tin upside down – mould the parchment/foil over the outside of the tin, remove (keeping its shape), then turn the tin over and slot in the moulded ‘case’.
- Place the butter and cocoa powder in a microwave-safe bowl, then microwave (uncovered) on low, for a few seconds at a time, stirring occasionally, until melted and combined. Remove from the microwave and set aside.
- Whisk the eggs and caster sugar together, using a stand mixer or an electric hand-held whisk, until thick, pale and fluffy. Stir the egg mixture and vanilla extract into the cocoa mixture, then stir in the flour until combined.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared baking tin and level it out. Dot the raspberries over the top, pushing them down slightly into the mixture, then sprinkle with a little sea salt.
- Bake for about 30 minutes or until crusty around the edges but still squidgy in the middle (it will firm up a little as it cools).
- Leave to cool completely in the tin, then remove from the tin using the baking parchment or foil, cut into squares and peel off the parchment/foil. Cutting the brownies is even easier after a spell in the fridge (about two hours) – they are quite soft with the addition of raspberries, so I recommend eating them cold from the fridge.
- Decorate with any, or a selection, of the suggestions (a very light sprinkling of sea salt flakes looks pretty too), then serve
GET AHEAD
The brownies will keep for up to three days in an airtight container in the fridge. Minus the raspberries, they will last up to a week (no need to chill), or they can be frozen.
HINTS & TIPS
If you don’t have a microwave, put the butter and cocoa powder into a large, heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over a slightly smaller heatproof bowl containing boiling water ensuring the bottom of the top bowl doesn’t touch the water underneath) and leave until melted and combined, stirring
Extracted from Just One Pan by Jane Lovett (Headline Home, £25)
