Strawberry brownies

The best brownie of the season! Rich, intensely chocolatey, melt-in-the-mouth and packed with juicy strawberries. Chocolate and strawberries are a classic pairing that never fails to impress with its simplicity and flavour. I guarantee you’ll come back to this recipe throughout the strawberry season – assuming the summer heat eases up enough to let you switch the oven on!

Ingredients for strawberry brownies:

• 180 g butter
• 100 g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), chopped
• 150 g dark chocolate (50% cocoa solids), chopped
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 250 g caster sugar
• 100 g plain flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• a pinch of salt
• 250 g strawberries

All ingredients should be at room temperature.

Melt the butter in a saucepan and remove from the heat. Add both chopped chocolates to the hot butter and leave for 2 minutes. Stir until smooth and glossy. Allow the chocolate mixture to cool completely, or until just slightly warm, but not hot. It should remain liquid.

In a large bowl, lightly whisk the eggs with a balloon whisk (do not beat until frothy). Add the vanilla extract and sugar and whisk thoroughly until well combined. Pour in the cooled chocolate mixture and stir until smooth. Sift the flour and baking powder directly into the chocolate mixture, add the salt and stir only until combined. Do not overmix.

Pour the batter into a 25 cm round cake tin (or a 23 cm square tin) that has been greased and lined with baking paper. Halve the strawberries and arrange them over the top of the batter, cut side facing down.

Bake at 160°C in a fan-assisted oven (or 180°C conventional) for approximately 38–40 minutes. Because of the juicy strawberries, this brownie requires around 5–7 minutes longer in the oven than a classic brownie. The brownie will rise slightly and may crack around the edges or develop a characteristic crinkled top. A skewer inserted into the centre may come out moist, but it should not have raw batter on it. Brownies are generally not tested with a skewer, however, as this method is not always reliable. Remove from the oven, leave to cool and serve.

Enjoy!