Easy Raspberry Brownies
Oh so gooey, these fruity chocolate brownies are a rich and indulgent chocolate bake. Topped with an optional creamy mascarpone peanut butter frosting, they are dangerously addictive.
Prep Time25 minutes mins
Cook Time22 minutes mins
Total Time47 minutes mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12
Calories: 402kcal
For the Brownies
- 120 g/ ½ cup/ 4 ¼ oz Butter (unsalted)
- 170 g/ 1 cup/ 6 oz Dark chocolate
- 100 g/ ½ cup / 3 ½ oz White sugar
- 110 g/ ½ cup/ 4oz Dark Muscovado sugar
- 2 Eggs (large, free range)
- 2 Egg yolks (large, free range)
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 30 g/ 1 oz Cocoa powder
- 85 g/ ⅔ cup/ 3 oz Plain (all purpose) flour
- 125 g / 5 oz Fresh raspberries
For the Frosting
- 75 g/ ⅓ cup Butter
- 75 g/ ⅓ cup Mascarpone cheese
- 3 tablespoon 3 tablespoon Peanut butter (smooth)r
- ¾ teaspoon ¾ teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 75 g/ ⅔ cup Icing (confectionary) sugar
Garnishes - all optional
- Cocoa powder
- Fresh raspberries
- Peanut butter baking chips
Make the Brownies
Preheat (fan) oven to 180C/ 350F/ GM4 and line a 7x 7 inch baking tin with butter and parchment.
Weigh out the sugar and break down any lumps in the muscovado sugar using your fingers.
Melt the butter and chocolate together in a bain marie. Once melted, mix until smooth.
Stir in the sugars.
Add the eggs & yolks and beat to just combine using a handheld balloon whisk.
Sieve the flour, cocoa and salt into the batter and mix until just combined and no streaks of dry ingredients remain.
Pour half of the batter into the prepared tin and poke half of the raspberries into it. Top with the remaining batter, level and poke the remaining berries into the batter.
Bake for 22 minutes. At this point test with a toothpick - insert it into the centre of the brownie - if raw batter is evident on the stick continue to back for another 2-3 minutes and test again. Continue until the toothpick comes out with no raw batter clinging to it.
Take the tin out of the oven and let the brownie cool completely in the tin.
Make the Frosting
Beat the butter until it is light and fluffy.
Add the mascarpone and continue to beat until a smooth consistency is reached again - it may split at first, but keep on beating and it will come back together (you'll think it's ruined and will never come back together, but have faith, it does).
Mix in the vanilla extract and peanut butter. Beat again.
Sieve the icing sugar and gradually beat in - a spoonful at a time. Continue to beat until the frosting is smooth and creamy.
Decorating
Let the brownie cool completely then spread with the buttercream.
Cut into 12 small squares.
Decorate with a dusting of cocoa powder, fresh raspberries or peanut butter candy chips.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge and bring to room temperature before serving.
- Always line your tin, even if it claims to be non-stick. This way the brownies will always be easy to remove from the tin.
- Begin testing the brownies for doneness at the minimum suggested cooking time suggested. Oven temperatures do vary slightly, so it's best to keep on testing every few minutes from this point to ensure they come out of the oven at just the right point
- They are cooked when a cocktail pick inserted into the centre comes out without liquid batter on it, but perhaps a few crumbs.
- Let the brownie cool entirely before cutting. The squares will end up neater.
- It's your choice how to decorate your chocolate and raspberry brownies - I couldn't decide so I went for a mixture of fresh raspberries and peanut butter candy chips.
- And you can slather the frosting on with a knife or pipe it on for a more polished look.
- And if buttercream frosting is not your thing, then leave it off and instead serve these beauties with a scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream alongside. I call this sheer dessert heaven.
Calories: 402kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 101mg | Sodium: 199mg | Potassium: 223mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 585IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 3mg