Double Choc Raspberry Fudge Brownies

I baked two trays of these recently to take on a camping trip with friends and they went down an absolute treat. The clincher, I think, is the little tart hit you get from the raspberry in amongst the gooey richness of the brownie and the sweetness of the white choc bits.

As the 8 year daughter of one friend said to me "these are the best because they're sweet and sour and squishy!" Summed up beautifully I think.

The other super thing about these, and making them in your Combi-Steam, is that as the Combi-Steam Queen I have decided that you can melt the chocolate and butter in the pan you bake them in! That means less washing up and less mess. Love it!

In my Combi Steam brand of choice I bake these using the Hot Air Humid function which is designed to "trap" the moisture from the food inside the oven space. Usually, on a traditional fan forced setting, ovens will take the moisture out of the food and whisk it away to help it cook through by, in a sense, drying it out. The Hot Air Humid Function will keep all that lovely moisture circulating around in the oven so it keeps things moist on the inside while they bake or roast. If you are using another brand you are best to use Combination Steam but keep the Steam setting low or around 10-20%.

No matter what oven you use, baking is never a completely accurate science because there are so many variables….sizes of pans, temperatures of eggs and milk in the batter and a whole range of other things can affect the way things turn out. My tip is use your senses….smell, feel and intuition go a long way in the kitchen….always use them.

Right, let's get baking!

makes approx 12 squares (depending on size)

Ingredients:
150g unsalted butter (chopped)
300g dark chocolate (chopped or broken into chunks)
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup caster sugar
¾ cup plain flour
3 eggs (at room temp)
1 tsp vanilla extract
¾ cup (140g) white choc bits (or chopped white chocolate)
½ cup (120g) Greek yoghurt
1 punnet fresh raspberries*

Method:

  1. Grease and line a 19cm x 29cm slice pan with baking paper.

  2. Place dark chocolate & butter into the pan. Select Steam. Set the temperature to 50°C and place pan into the oven. Allow to melt (approx 8 mins) stirring occasionally with a metal spoon until glossy. (You may like to cover with some cling film for this step if you find the moisture content in your CombiSteam is high - all models will vary)

  3. Combine the eggs, sugar, vanilla and yoghurt in a small bowl with a whisk.

  4. When melted stir the chocolate & butter until combined. Add flour, white choc bits and egg mixture and stir until combined.

  5. Press the raspberries into the mixture, distributing them all around to make sure each "slice" will get some.

  6. Select Hot Air Humid (or Combination Steam with variable Steam at low or 10%). Set temperature to 170°C. Bake for 40-45 mins or until set but just slightly squidgy in the middle.

  7. Allow to cool completely in the pan on a cooling rack.

  8. When cooled remove the brownies, in the baking paper, from the pan and slice into pieces. (I usually get 4x3).

  9. Enjoy or store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Tips:
*use '"eating quality" dark chocolate for best results….I like 70% cocoa solids.
*fresh raspberries can be swapped for 125g of frozen raspberries, just thawed.
*these are great served warm, or Regenerated at 120 degrees C for 9 mins, with ice cream as a dessert too!
*oh and you can do two trays of these simultaneously and bake together if you need to please a crowd….or if one tray just isn't enough!

Happy Combi-Steaming! (and brownie eating!)

Yours in the kitchen,

The CSQ. x