Chocolate Raspberry Brownies aka Heisenbrownies

O-Mg how good is Breaking Bad??

Water cooler banter has been dominated by Walt, Jesse, and the terrible and wonderful world of our favourite P cooks.

For the three of you out there who haven't heard of Breaking Bad, the formula is pretty basic: geeky chemistry teacher turns to cooking meth to make money for his family when he is diagnosed with terminal cancer.  The whole, however, is much greater than the sum of its parts.  It's not always easy to watch: it's brutal,  it's gritty, but keeps a quirky element of humour.

I confess, I can't actually handle all the violent bits so I make C watch them and report back to me but I just can't seem to turn away.  We and it seems the rest of the world are totally addicted.

We've been making our way through season 3 but will definitely keep our ion the SERIES FINALE next week.  Eeeeeeeeeeee!!

Ok ok sorry for boron you with chemistry puns. Would come up with better ones but it seems the good ones argon.

I'll stop now.  

How do I have friends??

{via here}

Anyhoo, these Chocolate Raspberry Brownies are a little like Walter White: they're a simple run-of-the-mill chocolate brownie transformed into something all dark, complex, sinful, and totally out of control.  The ultimate brownie. Pretty much, Heisenbrownies.

I made them for my awesome surgery team when I was on attachment the other week and I realised I'd never blogged the recipe.  Major oversight!  I'm all about these brownies.  I've been making these for years.  They are my go-to-brownie. 

They're gooey and chocolatey but with bursts of tart raspberries to keep them from being just another chocolate brownie.  And since they have fruit in them, it means they are legit to have for breakfast.

The recipe is a two-bowl melt-and-mix recipe.  It's a lot easier than the number of hyphens implies.  You melt some chocolate and butter, whip your eggs and sugar, and throw it all together with the dry ingredients.  No beakers or bunsen burners required.

They are spectacular warm with a generous scoop vanilla ice cream. And they freeze well.

99.1% pure brownie awesomeness.

NB: I forgot to add, a friend of mine used this recipe at a work bake off and won! Go Ace!

Chocolate Raspberry Brownies

makes 16 brownies

tweaked slightly from Tammy's recipe.

220g butter, cut into cubes
200g dark chocolate
300g sugar
4 large eggs
60g plain flour
60g cocoa powder (unsweetened)
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 - 1 1/2 cup frozen raspberries
pinch of salt

1. Preheat the oven to 170oC, making sure the rack is in the lower half of the oven. Line a 23cm square baking tin with baking paper or tinfoil.  Melt chocolate and butter in a pyrex measuring jug in the microwave or in a small saucepan over med-low heat. Allow to cool.

2. In a bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in cooled chocolate mixture.  Sift in dry ingredients and fold to mix.  Fold in raspberries.  Pour mixture into the prepared baking tin.

3. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a knife comes out a little sticky but not wet and the mixture is not wobbly.  Cool in the tin completely before cutting (or as much as you can before cutting!) Cut with a sharp knife and wipe clean between cuts.  Dust lightly with powered cocoa or icing sugar to make them pretty. Or drizzle some melted white chocolate over when completely cooled to make them look extra spesh.  Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, cool or warmed up.

NB: If you freeze them while they are still slightly warm, wrapped tightly, they will stay more moist.  Simply, defrost in the fridge overnight for the next day.