Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Chocolate Brownie with Raspberries



How many chocoholics are out there? Hands up, please!? Well, I thought as much. If you like chocolate as much as I do, here's a recipe for you. It's adapted from Sue Lawrence's lovely cookbook "Sue Lawrence's Scottish Kitchen: Over 100 Modern Recipes Using Traditional Ingredients" (UK link/US link), but I've reduced the sugar content by one-fifth with no ill-effect to the texture, but your hips - and tastebuds - will thank you for that, trust me. You'll get a moist and flavoursome chocolate brownie with sweet-tart raspberry spots throughout.

Raspberries are one fruit/berry that really thrive in the cool and humid Scottish climate, so various raspberry desserts abound in Scottish cookbooks (think of cranachan, the traditional Scottish oat-raspberry-whisky concoction; more recent and prettier picture here). Luckily, raspberries also love Estonian climate - and my mum's garden - so I can easily access these lovely sweet-tart berries here.

My dear K. thought these were too chocolatey (what's that???), but my friends all helped themselves to a (large) second piece :)

Chocolate Brownies with Raspberries
(Šokolaadiruudud vaarikatega)
Makes 16 squares

350 g dark chocolate (55-60%), broken into pieces
250 g unsalted butter, cut into cubes
3 large eggs
200 g soft dark brown sugar (muscovado)
100 g plain/all-purpose flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
300 g raspberries (can be frozen, do not de-freeze!)

Place chocolate and butter in a small heavy-based saucepan and heat over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until almost melted. Remove from the heat when just small pieces of chocolate remain (the chocolate will continue softening) - take care not to burn the chocolate! Cool a little.
Whisk the eggs until thick and pale foam forms, then add sugar in three batches, still whisking. Fold into the cooled chocolate-butter mixture, then stir in the flour, baking powder and salt.
Butter a 23 cm square brownie pan.
Spread half of the chocolate batter into the pan, then scatter raspberries over and top with the rest of the batter.
Bake in a preheated 170 C oven for about 40 minutes, until the cake looks baked on top. Test for doneness with a wooden toothpick - the brownie cake is done, when the toothpick remains just a little bit moist.
Remove from the oven and cool on a metal rack for about 20 minutes.
Cut into squares (4x4 seems to work well, considering the intense chocolate flavour), but let cool completely in the cake pan before removing.

Other brownie posts on Nami-nami:
Chocolate Brownies with Walnuts Recipe (January 2008)

16 comments:

Meeta K. Wolff said...

Pille I have to laugh at this - Soeren and I made chocolate brownies with raspberries and peaches. I just was taking a break and took a bite in a piece and checked my reader to see your post.

Tastes lovely doesn't it? My recipe was slightly different but on the whole it's great we had the same idea!

Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) said...

I love the idea of finding the raspberries hidden in the center, instead of being mixed throughout the dough.

Maarja said...

at the beginning it seemed so easy after 3 pieces, but, whole evening i only had water.
taste was superb!

Poonam said...

Cool! Like the way the berry is seen here!

Brilynn said...

You can never have too much chocolate! Those brownies look delicious!

Patricia Scarpin said...

Pille, I adore brownies and adding raspberries to them is genius! I'm not one who will eat chocolate out of the package, but give a dessert made with chocolate and I'm addicted!

ChichaJo said...

Me! Me! Chocolate lover here!!! :) These brownies sounds fabulous...My uncle makes a brownie with fruit which are so moist so I can just imagine how good these must be!

Anonymous said...

Raspberry brownies are such a decadent treat!

Maria said...

I love brownies, they are my fav!! Adding raspberries makes them even better!

Jeanne said...

Great minds think alike - these are close second cousins to my dark chocolate and raspberry cupcakes:
http://www.cooksister.com/2008/07/sinful-dark-chocolate-raspberry-cupcakes.html

YUM!

Anonymous said...

I just made it and devoured it with my younger brother - this recipe is sooo easy and the chocolate and raspberry combination is out of this world. I will definitely make this again, in larger proportions!!

Andrew Abraham said...

We just made your brownies... WOW... as well we recieved a post on recipebuddys.com on Brownies and wanted to hear you opinions of it …I stumpled upon your post…and thought you would be a good sounding board.. we have a bake sale coming up…and want it to turn out good for our daughter… please advise…thanks

Pille said...

Meeta, Jeanne - great minds always think alike :)

Lydia - that layered effect pleased me, too!

Mann - thanks for helping me consume this cake :)

Poonan, Brilynn, Patricia, Jo, Ann, Maria - thank you!

Colloquial Cook & Andrew Abraham - glad to read that you liked the recipe!!!

Dazy said...

I was looking for something creative like this. Then tried this awesome recipe. This recipe does not disappoint. It's a snap to prepare and really tasty.

sikat ang pinoy said...

I was very pleased to find this site.I wanted to thank you for this great read!! I definitely enjoying every little bit of it and I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff you post. SIKAT ANG PINOY

Antti from Helsinki said...

I have made this cake now at least 5 times to a different party and its a winner everytime. People absolutely adore it. Gonna make on tomorrow, not really christmassy but who cares ;) Thanks for this receipe!