My standard brownie recipe comes from Dorie Greenspan’s cookbook, Baking: From My Home to Yours. Thin, fudgy and not too sweet, it provides the perfect hit of chocolatey goodness I tend to crave every afternoon.
So I was excited to see a variation on her blog that incorporates fresh raspberries. It’s absolutely delicious: the raspberries dry a bit in the baking and become more intense, which pairs perfectly with the bittersweet chocolate.
I usually cut her recipe in half and bake the batter in a tart pan with a removable bottom (place the pan on a cookie sheet to protect your oven). Cut into slim wedges and served with a tiny scoop of vanilla ice cream, it’s an elegant dinner party dessert. Go ahead: use the pretty dessert plates. Makes 8-12 servings, depending on how much your guests ate for dinner.
Dorie Greenspan’s Bittersweet Brownies with Raspberries
1 stick unsalted butter
5 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
1/2 t. pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1/2 c. flour
1 pint raspberries
Preheat oven to 325F. Butter and flour a tart pan or make it easier on yourself and use Baker’s Joy. Place the tart pan on a cookie sheet.
Put the butter and chocolate into a large heatproof bowl and place over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir occasionally until melted. Remove bowl from heat. Whisk in the sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, then vanilla. Stir until you have a smooth batter. Add flour and salt and mix just until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Scrape the batter into the pan, and smooth the top, scatter the raspberries over the batter.
Bake the brownies until the top is dull and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, 30-40 minutes. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool the brownies to room temperature. When ready to serve, remove the tart pan sides and cut into wedges with a large knife.