Fudgy Strawberry Brownies

posted on August 10, 2017 by Vedika 3 Comments »

Thick, fudgy chocolate strawberry brownies make for an ultra-decadent summer treat. 

During summertime in Poland, stands pop up alongside the road, outside the grocery store, on street corners selling baskets of brightly colored berries. The mix includes strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, currents and cherries.

I personally prefer eating berries plain, in breakfast food or served alongside dessert.

Rarely do I cook with them.

It isn’t that I haven’t tried, it’s just that a lot of the time, fruit tastes so good on its own that it seems pointless to bake a pie or a tart that doesn’t seemingly do the fruit enough justice. Why tinker with perfection?

I was, however, more than thrilled with these strawberry brownies.

Thick, fudgy chocolate brownies topped with strawberries for an ultra-decadent summer treat.

The brownies are perfection on their own (just look!). Damp, dark, velvety – pure chocolate decadence. Just like my classic fudgy chocolate brownies– but chocolate-based instead of cocoa-based.  I’ve made the base recipe (sans chocolate chunks and strawberries) with a salted caramel peanut topping served with vanilla ice cream.

This strawberry variation is perfect around this time of year. The strawberry slices caramelize while baking, which makes them crisp and slightly chewy (depending on how thin you’re cutting them). They lend a tart sweetness, working well with that rich interior.

Thick, fudgy chocolate brownies topped with strawberries for an ultra-decadent summer treat.

This recipe is easy to prepare, and a definite favourite of ours this summer.

Thick, fudgy chocolate brownies topped with strawberries for an ultra-decadent summer treat.

Print Recipe

Fudgy Strawberry Brownies

Yield: 9-16 servings

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 45 min

Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

For the brownies:

  • 200 g (7 oz) dark chocolate, broken into pieces/chopped
  • 1 scant 1 cup (200 g/7 oz) unsalted butter, chopped
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 heaping cup (250 g) sugar
  • 1 scant cup (135 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp instant espresso powder*

For the topping:

  • 100 g (4 oz) milk chocolate/semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (chocolate chips are fine too!)
  • A handful of fresh strawberries (5-10), thinly sliced

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 160 C (325 F) and grease/line a 9 inch (22-24 cm) square pan with parchment paper.
  2. Melt together the butter and dark chocolate. You can do this step over a double boiler, or in the microwave, stirring after every 45 seconds or until smooth (about 2 minutes). Set the chocolate aside to cool.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, salt and instant espresso powder till smooth.
  4. Stir in the melted chocolate-butter mixture (should be cool to touch) just until incorporated.
  5. Finally, fold in the flour.
  6. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly to all corners.
  7. Top the brownies with the strawberry slices and chocolate chunks.
  8. Bake for 35-4o minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few damp crumbs.
  9. While these taste great warm, chilling the brownies makes them far easier to cut. They also taste great cold.
  10. Cut the brownies int0 squares. These make 9 generous portions (3x3 inches; pictured above) or 16 smaller (and more manageable!) ones.
These can be stored for about a week in the fridge (I wouldn't go much longer due to the fruit). You can freeze them for 1-2 months.
  • *Instant espresso powder highlights the flavor of the dark chocolate. I love adding it but if you don't like the idea of adding coffee to your dessert, you may leave it out.
  • The original recipe I adapted was listed in grams. However, I measured out the ingredient quantities in cups as well, which accounts for the "scant" or "heaping" variations in cups.
Recipe adapted from Kwestia Smaku

Thick, fudgy chocolate brownies topped with strawberries for an ultra-decadent summer treat.

More brownies to entice you:

Classic Chewy, Fudgy Chocolate Brownies

These chewy, fudgy cocoa brownies are everything you're looking for and more.

Healthy No-Bake Chocolate Brownies (vegan, gluten free)

Satisfy that sugar craving with these healthy no-bake brownies. Raw, vegan, gluten-free and guilt-free.

 

posted in Brownies and Bars, Chocolate, Summer
3 Comments »