Like me, you probably love rich, dense, squidgy brownies. But, it can be a bit of a lottery getting them out of the oven at the right time. It’s so easy to under or over bake them – usually the latter – it’s a very narrow “time window”. The addition of lovely juicy berries widens that window so that the ideal texture is much more easily attained.

The recipe below is for either Blueberry Brownies or Raspberry Brownies, but you could combine these berries or use other soft fruits. I’ll give the overall recipe and list the minor differences for each berry. I’ll also give the decorating options that I’ve used, but if you have other decorating plans, that’s fine.

Makes: 12 – 16 pieces, depending how big you want them

Time: 50 – 60 minutes + cooling

Level: Easy

Need: A 20cm/8” square cake tin with reasonably high sides; an electric whisk.

Ingredients

185g/6½oz dark choc, chopped
185g/6½oz unsalted butter, diced
3 large eggs
175g/6oz caster sugar
100g/3½oz soft light brown sugar
A few drops of flavouring*
85g/3oz plain flour
¼tsp of fine salt
40g/1½oz cocoa powder
50g/2oz white chocolate chips or chunks
50g/2oz dark chocolate chips or chunks
50g/2oz – 75g/2½oz blueberries (whole) or raspberries (halved)

* I used a few drops of “Foodie Flavours” brand raspberry or blueberry flavouring. It’s not essential to add flavourings, but I think using a good quality product like this adds something to the finished bake.

Decorating options

3 individual blueberries per brownie
or 1 raspberry per brownie
50g/2oz – 75g/2½oz dark chocolate
About 12g/tsp butter
About 50g/2oz white chocolate
Some freeze dried raspberries (for raspberry option)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C / Fan 160°C / 350°F / Gas 4. Butter and line the base and sides of the tin with baking parchment.

2. In a large bowl (ideally plastic, as this will not retain the heat like glass or metal) melt the butter and chocolate together using a bain marie, stirring regularly. Set aside to cool.

3. In another bowl, whisk the eggs and sugars until thick, light and creamy. Pour into** the cooled melted chocolate mixture and fold it in thoroughly. Stir in the chosen flavouring.

** I usually pour ingredients into melted chocolate rather than pouring the actual chocolate. That way, I don’t leave any behind in the bowl.

4. Sift over the flour, salt and cocoa powder then fold in gently with a large metal spoon. Now stir in the chocolate chips and chosen berries.

5. Pour and/or spoon the mixture into the prepared tin. Bake for 30 – 35 minutes. There should be a very slight wobble when it has baked – also the top will have a shiny, papery crust and the brownie slab will be pulling away from the side of the tin.

6. Allow it to cool in the tin then cut it into pieces using a sharp, wet knife or a metal bench scraper. OR turn out the whole slab, inverted, and then cut into pieces. (I usually do this and use the flat bottom as the top surface.)

7. Melt the dark chocolate with the butter. Pour or brush this over the inverted brownies. (There should be enough chocolate to brush the sides of each brownie too if you so wish.)

8. As it sets, add three smallish blueberries or one raspberry to a corner of each piece.

9. When the dark chocolate has set, melt the white chocolate and fill a piping bag. Snip a tiny hole and pipe lines – as shown, or your own design. For the raspberry brownies sprinkle some freeze dried raspberries onto the white chocolate lines before they set.

I hope you enjoy these lovely brownies. Click this link for more tasty traybake recipes. Below are some that I think you’ll love too, or have a look at my site for lots of other great recipes, both sweet and savoury. To make a comment or ask a question please go to the contact page. Click this link for the home page.