NATIONAL BROWNIE DAY: RECIPES

Ingredients

• 250g unsalted butter, cubed
• 300g dark chocolate (70 per cent cocoa solids), roughly chopped
• 80g good quality cocoa powder
• 400g caster sugar
• 6 large free-range eggs
• 130g plain flour, sifted
• 200g crunchy peanut butter

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Melt the butter and chocolate in a small saucepan and set over a low heat. Remove from the heat, sift over the cocoa powder then beat together until smooth and glossy. Set aside to cool.
2. In a large mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer to whisk the sugar and eggs until pale, creamy and the beaters leave a ribbon-like trail when raised from the batter. Add the chocolate mixture and fold together until smooth using a rubber spatula.
3. Fold in the flour. Pour the batter into the tin, dot over the peanut butter then spread to the edges, very roughly swirling together with the spatula. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the top has a light crust but the centre still has a bit of a wobble. Leave to cool completely to firm up before slicing.

Ingredients

• 150g unsalted butter
• 200g dark chocolate, broken into chunks
• 310g golden caster sugar
• 4 medium free-range eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 100g plain flour
• 6 digestive biscuits or Hobnobs, broken into small chunks
• 180g full-fat cream cheese (we used Philadelphia)

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Melt the butter, chocolate and 250g of the sugar in a medium-large saucepan, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter have melted and the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.
2. Whisk 3 of the eggs into the melted chocolate mix, one at a time, whisking well to bring the mixture back to a glossy consistency. Add 1 tsp vanilla and a pinch of salt, then beat in the flour until just combined and glossy. Finally, stir in the biscuits.
3. In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese with the remaining 60g sugar, 1 tsp vanilla and egg until smooth.
4. Spoon the chocolate mixture into the prepared tin, then randomly spoon over blobs of the cheesecake mixture. Use a knife to swirl through both mixes for a marbled effect, making sure not to touch the bottom of the tin.
5. Bake for 25 minutes until the top is set and starting to crack. Cool in the tin, then cut into 20 squares.
   Put in the fridge for 30 minutes to set, then serve.

Ingredients

• 250g unsalted butter (we like Président)
• 300g dark chocolate (70 per cent cocoa solids), broken into pieces
• 400g caster sugar
• ½ tsp sea salt flakes
• 5 large free-range eggs
• 100g plain flour
• 100g ground almonds

Method

1. Heat the oven to 170°C/150°C fan/gas 3½. Put the butter and chocolate in a heavy-based pan, then set over a low heat, stirring now and then, until the mixture is melted, smooth and combined.
2. Remove from the heat then, using a balloon whisk, stir in the sugar and salt. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking after each addition. If the mixture splits at this stage, don’t worry – keep adding the eggs and whisking and it will come back together. Whisk in the flour and ground almonds until just combined and smooth, then pour into the tin.
3. Bake the brownies for 40-45 minutes until the top is craggy and cracked, and the underneath is just set but still has give and squidge. If you like a cakier (drier) texture, bake for 10-15 minutes more. Cool in the tin, then chill for at least 4 hours before turning out and cutting into 24 squares. If you don’t chill them, they’ll be too soft to slice cleanly. If you’ve cooked them for 50-55 minutes, the brownies will be firmer; cool in the tin for 10 minutes, turn out and cool completely on a wire rack, then cut into squares.

Ingredients

• 230g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 170g unsalted butter, melted
• 200g light brown sugar
• 2 medium free-range eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 110g blueberries
• 100g white chocolate, chopped

For the blueberry compote

• 140g blueberries
• 30g caster sugar
• 2 tsp lemon juice

For the cheesecake

• ½ medium free-range egg, beaten
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 60g full-fat cream cheese
• 20g unsalted butter
• 15g caster sugar

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. To make the compote, cook the 140g blueberries in a small pan with the 30g sugar, lemon juice and 1 tbsp water for 5-7 min until the berries start to break down. Take off the heat, then whizz with a hand mixer. Strain in a sieve over a bowl, pushing down with a spoon (discard what’s left in the sieve).
2. Combine the cheesecake ingredients in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer.
3. For the blondie base, sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl. In another large mixing bowl, mix the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla. Fold in the flour mixture to combine. Fold in the 110g blueberries and the chocolate. Pour the mixture over the prepared tin.
4. Spoon 3 lines of the cheesecake mix down the length of the tin, then drizzle the blueberry compote on top of the lines, in the centre of each. Drag the tip of a knife through the mix in a swirling pattern. Bake for 20 minutes or until the top is just set. Cool in the tin, then chill for 2 hours. Bring back to room temperature; serve cut into squares.

Ingredients

• Vegetable oil or butter for greasing
• 400g butternut squash, peeled and chopped into 2cm dice
• 100g dark chocolate (at least 70 per cent cocoa solids), roughly chopped
• 4 medium free-range eggs
• 200g golden caster sugar
• 100g good quality cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• Icing sugar to dust

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/gas 4. Grease and line a 20cm x 20cm square brownie tin with baking paper. Put the butternut squash into a small, heatproof bowl and splash over a little water. Cover in cling film and microwave on high for 8-10 minutes. The squash should be soft and cut like butter.
2. Drain away any excess water, then add the chopped chocolate to the bowl and stir to combine. The residual heat of the squash will melt the chocolate. Using a hand-held blender, whizz the mixture to a purée and set aside.
3. Crack the eggs into a large bowl and add the sugar. Using an electric hand mixer, whisk until light and fluffy, then fold through the cocoa powder, plain flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt.
4. Fold in the chocolate squash purée, then transfer to the tin. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the brownies have set. Remove and allow to cool in the tin for at least an hour. Cut into squares and serve with a dusting of icing sugar.

Ingredients

• 175g unsalted butter, cubed, plus extra for greasing
• 175g dark chocolate, chopped
• 250g golden caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 3 large free-range eggs
• 115g plain flour
• Pinch fine sea salt
• 200g Lindt Lindor white chocolate truffles, 2-3 finely chopped, remainder left whole

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Melt the butter, chocolate and sugar in a saucepan over a low-medium heat, stirring occasionally, until all the sugar has melted. Take off the heat and set aside to cool.
2. Once the chocolate and butter mixture has cooled, whisk in the vanilla, then the eggs, one at a time, beating well between additions. Using a large metal spoon, fold in the plain flour and two thirds of the whole Lindor chocolates.
3. Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan, then poke the remaining whole Lindor chocolates into the top. Bake for 25 minutes or until the brownie has a crust but the middle is still fudgy and a little gooey. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
4. Scatter over the finely chopped Lindor chocolate, then serve with scoops of ice cream, if you like.