Vivian, from Riccarton...
The Ultimate Chocolate Brownie ... With Raspberries (If You're Feeling Extra Flashy)
There are endless chocolate brownie recipes around, and I'm sure heaps of them are great, but whenever I read in the instructions: "melt chocolate over a simmering heat" or something similar, all I can envisage is the stress and mess of the choc-melting process that so often ends up burnt or all over the stove = WASTE.
The beauty of this recipe is that there is no melty-choccy going on, yet the final product is still dense, moist, and super chocolatey goodness that melts in your mouth with every bite. The perfect combination of a little chewy crust on the outside with a delectably soft and rich texture on the inside.
The addition of raspberries make it the ultimate treat - I'm often too poor to include them, but if you've got them, it makes the world of difference.
I have won over many hearts, solved many conflicts, and sucked up to many important people with this, and often kept a well hidden secret.... So here it is! And now we can all share the love.
Ingredients
- 320g butter, melted
- 1 1/4 cups cocoa
- 7 eggs
- 3 cups sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 1 1/2 - 2 cups chocolate chips/drops (dark is best)
- 1 1/4 cups plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- Frozen/fresh raspberries (optional)
- Icing sugar (optional)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 160C.
- Line a large baking tin/roasting dish (I use a 24x34cm rectangle dish)
- Melt the butter in a large bowl (there's lots of ingredients to fit in here) in the microwave, or in a large saucepan on the stove.
- Using an electric mixer, beat cocoa into melted butter.
- Add eggs, sugar, and vanilla, and whiz with electric mixer for 3-4 mins until the mixture begins to whip up in volume (about double).
- Using a wooden spoon/rubber spatula, mix in the chocolate chips/drops.
- Sift flour and baking powder in; stir until fully combined.
- Pour into lined baking tin; give it a gentle shake to even out the mixture.
- If using raspberries, dot these evenly on top of the mixture, gently pushing them just under the surface.
- Bake in oven at 160C for about 1 hour, until an inserted skewer comes clean.
- Leave to cool in tin for about 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool further.
- If you want to make them look extra fancy, sift icing sugar over the top.
- Enjoy warm, cold, with some whipped cream, with some hot coffee, or even with a sneaky wine!
| Amount | Cooking Time | Prep Time |
|---|---|---|
| approx 50 brownies | about 1 hour | 15-20 mins |
Comments
Hutt
So so good!!
Geobabe
yes, stocky is correct! amazing is an under statement!!
Lacey
So true, they are SUPER amazing! yummmm
Joe
Hi Vivian, big fan - Just wondering if you could send some brownies to Canada? Thanks, Joe.
Sarah
I've waited so long to steal this recipe! Best brownies I've ever had!
Shelley
I made these last night......they are absolutely delicious and even a fool like me can make them and they are edible!!!!! My kids thank you.
Scott
They sound amazing! Can't wait to talk someone else into making them for me.
Jono
I want the secret squirrel visit. They sound yummy. GO VIV!!!
Kanye
Sarah, imma let you finish, but I just wanna say that Simon makes one of the best brownies of all time.
andy
sending a batch to welly might earn you a lot more votes
Rebecca
Viv, these are amazing!I too have been looking for a recipe where you don't have to melt chocolate....and THANKYOU!! Step this morning meant i could treat myself hehe. Made them for a group of friends and they love them!!So i got you 10 votes hehe!Hope you win!
Viv
Thanks guys! They ARE amazing. Keep spreading the word to spread the love (via chocolatey-brownie-goodness)
Zoe
yum yum YUM so so good
Ogilvie
A bit salty
Simon
Fantastic, the kids loved them!!!!
cant wait
this recipe looks fantastic. cant wait to try it this weekend
Michelle
As a member of C.A (Chocoholics Anonymous) I would have to say that many people will be off the wagon once they get their first fix of this brownie, they'll be addicted for life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kate
Rather than being a one-day wonder, it just kept getting better and better each day...so easy, and so much of it! we'll be making this again and again!
Tagan
Best brownies EVER! they made my life so much sweeter!
Viv
Thanks for all the SUPER supportive comments guys, it's so awesome hearing so many stories via this website and via word of mouth about how much everyone is enjoying making/sharing/eating/devouring the goodness that it is!
Sarah-Jane
hey viv thanks for the AMAZING brownies last wk at step. I never new what they were for until you explained in today's class so now i've got everyone i know to vote for you:) goodluck!
Angeline
Does it matter on the size of the egg? We get size 8 which are pretty big...
Chef Paul Jobin
Hey Vivian, My turn to try my hand to your chocolate brownies sitting here in 3rd place. I want to make the flashy version and I will have my chef training students next week cast there sweet tooth over them. Stay tuned later in the week for my report back. I will probably place in dutch cocoa to make them even more addictive! PJ
Viv
Angeline: I use the regular size 6 eggs... and I'm no chef (maybe Chef Paul can give you advice?) but size 8 are a quite a lot bigger, so you could try 6x of them? .. I just tried googling it for you, but to no success for an answer!
Chef Paul: Ooooh exciting! I've had rave reviews from your everyday NZer in person (and on here), but a chef's P.O.V might be alot different, so hope it goes well!! The flashy version incl. the good quality cocoa sounds soooo fabulous... my lack of funds haven't let me get that far yet, but maybe some prize money (fingers crossed) can go towards upgrading the pantry's ingredients!
Awesome, hear from you soon :)
Ian
Wow. Just right with my cup of coffee
Anna
Amazing and especially with raspberries!! Thanks heaps for sharing your fab recipe. Good luck.
Fei
Vivian!! Thinking of DHL the brownies for me & lynda? Andrew also wants to have some.. :P
Tay
These are delicious! especially after the gym :)
Corrina
I have tried many times to make brownies and they always turn out wrong. I used your recipe and the brownies are AWESOME. I'm so excited that I can finally bake Brownies. Good luck and c u at Jellie Park.
Viv
BROWNIE TIP!
In what must be nearing the 100th time I've baked these brownies, I've realised the difference it makes using eggs at room temperature vs. refrigerated. If you're keen for a denser, fudgier texture, keep the eggs you're going to use at room temp!
I've probably done this in the past unknowingly, and just thought, "ooh good batch today"... but the last few weeks of baking have made me come to this conclusion!
Enjoy guys! (and thanks for all your supportive comments again, its so great to hear the success these are having around NZ and the world!)
cousin
i'm baking these brownies today!!!!!
I love that they keep for ages!
Liz
YUUUMMMMMMMMM !!!!! just tried them, they really are great, one piece just isn't enough. well done and good luck.
Ryan
Making them tonight. Can't wait
Art
OMG, so good lol. ROFL, like OMG i cant stop eating them lol hehe. tb
Faith
Just tried half the receipe and its "fast to bake and good to eat" Tks!
Ben
These are fantastic.....
Pauline
Vivian, Dutch cocoa can be bought at "The Asian Warehouse" (next to Briscoes in town), it's $8.99 for a 1 kg bag - there it is labelled "Cocoa Powder Alkalised", but it's exactly the same thing. So it's not that expensive if you know where to look...
lily
Just made the brownies with raspberries.... makes it soooo delicious!
go viv go!
Come on - you can take it out!
Abby
You've left me with an addiction to these brownies! So good! Thank you!
Viv
Thanks so much Pauline! I shall definitely scope that place out, and make the substitution for my next few batches of brownies!
Hope you guys are all enjoying it, and thank you for your support... brownie love!
Jesus
Having been a brownie conosieur for nearly 2039 years, i have to say that these put my mothers to shame. The addition of the under utilized super berry that is the raspberry, caught my eye, and I must say. God these are good. Blasphemy is not encouraged. But Vivian I believe it is? You my child were conceived for a reason. A reason beyond bus shelter advertisment. The reason...Brownie love. Spread the word. And on the 7th day he ate a batch of Viv's Brownies....
Lee
This is truly "THE ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE BROWNIE" !! It's SO GOOD !! Thanks Viv.
dane007
hey your cake sounds really good and will definitely try the recipe. i am been noticing your rapid increase in votes in the last few days as you are closing the gap with the first place cake . Hope its fair game between the top three contestant . Good luck to all three of you.
Kirsten
This recipe is so so yummy. I have had it made for me 3 times now by Viv and every time it seems more delicious if thats possible
Lizzie
Thanks so much for a new recipe to try! I love making chocolate fudge brownie as I think it's so forgiving, you can do 20 different other things while making them and they always turn out edible. I tried your recipe and it worked, and tasted really really good!!! Another thing I was happy about was the amount it made, HEAPS!! I cut it in the tin and then piped melted 70% Cocoa chocolate in swirls over it. Everyone thought it I had purchased it from a cafe on my way to this morning tea. They loved it too!
I read somewhere that if you want to increase the chocolate flavour in your brownie, you can add an extra 1/4 teaspoon of pure vanilla essence. I know you can use Dutch Cocoa and 70+ % chocolate to increase the chocolate flavour but the vanilla essence tip is a $$ saving one, you can still use cheap chocolate and it works!
Viv
That's gold Lizzie! I will def have to try it. And you're right, theres so many variations you can add to it, i.e. one Easter we had no choc drops in the house, so I used chopped up Caramello Creme Eggs... yum! Swirling stuff like peanut butter before cooking has sounded ideal too!
Tracie
Hi Viv, I currently have these yummy sounding brownies in my oven cooking!! Can't wait to see what they taste like when they are finished :) Will post on here how they go!
Tracie
Made these brownies and they are AMAZING!!!!! Got them out of the oven this afternoon and have just put on the icing sugar and eating a couple YUM YUM YUM is all I have to say!
Viv
Awesome to hear Tracie! How yum are they when they are warm out of the oven?!
Rachael
Wow! These were absolutely divine! Loads of gorgeous textures throughout, chewy at the bottom, squidgy in the middle and crumbly on top! great!!
Neil
Absolutely gourgeous. The recipe looks easy and the list of ingredients will always taste good!
Jan
Absolutely delicious, especially with raspberries. I've tried many other recipes but these are tops.They are very well named.I have to hide them from Colin! Popular with all ages from our young grandchildren to my 88 year old mother.
robbie
stocky's cute. And these brownies are delicious!
Kara
Love it, melt in your mouth
Viv
Keen for some well-priced raspberries in Chch anytime! I trust it will get better towards summer... can't wait!
Carla
I made these for the first time this week and have to say that it is an outstanding recipe. It is incredibly easy, I would even say foolproof, and also delicious, exactly the consistency a brownie should be.
Brought to you by
Stocky
These brownies are awesome. Best recipe ever