Christmas is a time of giving and sharing food. I don't know about you but often I lack ideas on what to give people, especially if I don't really know them on a personal level.
I also generally lack the funds to buy them something really cool that oozes thought and creativity.
This is where food comes in. As long as it is good food, it will always be appreciated by friends, teachers and whoever.
When giving food as a gift you need it to be robust and it needs to keep well. This chocolate brownie is great in both respects.
Usually when I make this brownie, I stuff it full of chopped Snickers bars and peanut butter.
Alex came to me in need of something tasty and Christmassy to give to a colleague of his. This time the Snickers and peanut butter were swapped for white chocolate and raspberries; a far more festive-looking combination, I feel.
It is actually a lot more pleasant to eat as well - the tartness of the raspberries definitely help you eat more before feeling sick!
For the more decadent versions of this brownie, check my personal blog and look for the slabs of deadly-looking chocolate goodness!
Raspberry and white chocolate brownie
225g butter
1¾ cup brown sugar
1 cup cocoa
100g dark chocolate (I used 70%)
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
¾ cup plain flour
¾ cup dark chocolate drops (or the other half of the dark chocolate bar chopped up into chunks)
1 block of white chocolate (220-250g), chopped up into large chunks
1 cup whole frozen raspberries
Preheat the oven to 170degC on bake.
In a double boiler (a heatproof bowl fitted over a saucepan with a shallow amount of simmering water) melt the chocolate and the butter.
Once melted, add the brown sugar and stir until dissolved. Transfer the mixture into a cake mixer or a large mixing bowl.
Beat in the cocoa until just incorporated. Beat in the vanilla and the eggs one at a time, finishing with the yolk. Beat until the mixture is smooth.
Stir in the flour until just incorporated (you don't want to overmix). Tip in the chocolate chips or the chopped leftover dark chocolate, the white chocolate and the raspberries, and stir.
Line a 20cm x 30cm baking tin with baking paper and press the brownie mixture in evenly. Bake for 22-25 minutes.
It doesn't matter if it comes out gooey - that is half the charm!
Leave to cool before slicing into bars. Enjoy!
