Choc-Strawberry Brownie Bites with Ice Magic ganache

Let me state plainly: dishes are the bane of my life. But as a stay-at-home mum, and more particularly, a baking addict, they just never seem to go away. So when the foodie mags start spruiking one-pot dishes, I’m all in. And when I find a one-pot brownie recipe, then that’s really speaking my language!

This brownie recipe is just that; melt butter in saucepan, add other ingredients… too easy! Of course, the original recipe did not include strawberries; that was my addition.

There was a fairly logical progression to the idea of choc-strawberry brownie bites. It went something like this: Brownies are good. We hang out with kids regularly nowadays, and small children tend to like small cakes. Brownies as small cakes. Raspberries make brownies even better. Brownies as small cakes with raspberries in them. Raspberries have seeds, which some people don’t enjoy. Strawberries are like raspberries, but without the annoying seeds. Strawberries and chocolate go together. Choc-Strawberry brownie bites.

And of course, what good is chocolate cake without frosting?! Ice magic frosting, of all things! Ice magic, as we all know, is a childhood favourite {who am I kidding? There’s some in my pantry right now} ice cream topping. But making it at home and as a topping for cake intrigued me, so here it is. It works well, and there’ll be plenty left over for ice cream later.

Choc-Strawberry Brownie Bites with Ice Magic ganache
Brownie recipe from Baking: a Commonsense Guide and Ice Magic thanks to 52 Kitchen Adventures

Makes 20

Ingredients
For the brownies
80g (2 ¾ oz) butter
40g (1 ½ oz/ 1/3 cup) unsweetened cocoa powder
145g (5 oz/2/3 cup) caster (superfine) sugar
2 eggs
60g (2 ¼ oz/ ½ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
100g (3 ½ oz/ ½ cup) chocolate chips
125g (½-2/3 cup) strawberries, hulled and roughly chopped

For the topping
200g (7 oz.) of your favourite chocolate, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons coconut oil

Method
Preheat the oven to 180degC (350degF/Gas 4). Grease 24-hole mini muffin pan with cooking oil spray. Melt the butter in a saucepan, then stir in the cocoa and sugar. Add the eggs, stirring to combine. Sift the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt into the saucepan, then stir to combine. Add the chocolate chips and strawberries and stir to combine. Fill mini muffin holes with mixture and bake for 15 minutes, or until they spring back lightly when touched. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then remove to wire rack to cool completely before topping with ice magic ganache.

To make the ganache, place chocolate and coconut oil in a heat-proof bowl and then place bowl in microwave. Heat 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until fully melted. (Or, in a double boiler, heat chocolate and coconut oil over water on medium high heat, stirring frequently until fully melted.) Set aside to cool.

Spoon liquid ice magic over the brownie bites, catching the excess on some baking paper, placed underneath. Consume immediately, or place on a flat tray and chill in the refrigerator to set the ganache before storing.

To serve, warm gently in the microwave for 1 minute on LOW.

Store any leftover ice magic in an air-tight container. Heat in microwave for 30 seconds before spooning over your favourite ice cream.