Raspberries and coconut blend really well together and balance the richness of the chocolate, making these brownies very tasty and very moreish.

Makes: 16 squares

Time: 20 – 25 minutes to prep. 35 – 40 minutes to bake. At least 60 minutes chilling in the fridge then 5 – 10 minutes to cut and finish off.

Level: Easy

Need: A 20cm (8”) square baking tin

Biscuit base ingredients

200g/7oz digestives, finely crumbled
50g/1¾oz desiccated coconut
75g/2½oz butter
25g/1oz golden syrup

For the Brownies

100g/3½oz unsalted butter + a little to grease the tin
300g/10oz dark chocolate, broken into pieces
125g/4½oz golden caster sugar
125g/4½oz soft light brown sugar
75g/2½oz golden syrup
100g/3½oz raspberries – halved and tossed in flour
3 medium eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
100g/3½oz plain flour
½ tsp salt

Topping

50g/1¾oz chocolate (any colour you fancy)
20g/¾oz unsalted butter
A “scattering” of freeze dried raspberries (optional)
A “scattering” of desiccated coconut (optional)

NB “ A scattering” is my new “precision baking technical phrase“; it means: “I didn’t bother weighing it, so just chuck on as much as you want”.

Method

Biscuit base

1. Butter & line the tin. Melt the butter and golden syrup, taking care not to let it reach boiling point. Bash or whizz the biscuits and mix in the desiccated coconut. Pour the melted butter onto the dry ingredients and stir well to coat it all.

2. Press the mixture firmly into the tin and leave in the fridge for at least an hour, or overnight.

For the brownie

3. Preheat the oven to 160C / fan 140C / 325F / Gas 3.

4. Put the chocolate into a bain marie on a low heat. While it’s melting, put the butter, sugars and golden syrup into a large saucepan and gently melt. Stir well to make sure all the sugar dissolves. Set aside to cool a little.

5. In another bowl, whisk the eggs until a little creamy and stir in the vanilla extract. Add this to the cooled main mixture and beat until well combined. Stir in the cooled melted chocolate then stir in the flour coated raspberry halves.

6. Sift over the flour and salt then fold in.

7. Pour the mixture into the tin and smooth it if necessary. Bake for about 33 – 37 minutes. (It needs to be slightly wobbly when baked.)

8. Remove from the oven and set aside. Meanwhile melt together the chocolate & butter for the topping.

(For such a small amount, I give it a few 20 second blasts in the microwave, but it’s vital that you stir it well each time.)

9. Brush the melted chocolate over the brownie and sprinkle with the freeze dried raspberries and/or desiccated coconut. Put it in the fridge for at least an hour, overnight is better. (You may want to score it into pieces just before it has fully set.)

10. Turn out the slab and use a sharp knife or a metal dough scraper to cut it into pieces, or cut it while still in the tin and remove piece by piece.