Success!
Ever since visiting Bracegirdles and sampling their wonderful chocolate mud cake with raspberries, I have coveted that particular recipe. Recently, having some time on my hands and a modicum of income, I have been testing a few recipes of my own in order to find the elusive combination.
Some success has been achieved with a couple of flourless chocolate cakes, but this one is the winner (in my books). Simply a brownie recipe with raspberries thrown in, it uses (used) ingredients I already had in the pantry, thereby making it accessible, and inherently more economically viable than any flourless cake. It is also less fuss.
Taken from my favourite birthday present, the Family Circle “Baking – a commonsense guide”, I am pleased to say this will be in my repertoire from here on in. Without further ado, I present:
Chocolate Brownies with Raspberries thrown in
Makes 24 pieces
85g (2/3 cup) self-raising flour
85g (2/3 cup) unsweetened cocoa powder
250g (1 cup) caster sugar
330g unsalted butter, melted
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
250g (1 ½ cups) dark chocolate chips
125g (1 cup) walnut pieces (omitted)
150g frozen raspberries
icing (confectioners’) sugar, to dust
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease a 20 x 30 cm (8 x 12 inch) shallow baking tin and line with baking paper, leaving it hanging over the two long sides of the tin.
2. Sift together the flour and cocoa, then add the sugar. Make a well in the centre, then add the butter, eggs and vanilla extract and eat until smooth. Fold in the chocolate chips and (raspberries). Spoon into the tin and smooth the surface.
3. Bake for 25 minutes, or until cake begins to pull away from the sides. Leave in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack to cool. Dust with icing sugar to serve.