Here's the headline: When my husband tasted these, he said, "I don't think I want a regular brownie ever again. I only want these."
*this recipe was created for my friends at Imperial Sugar
What can you expect from these brownies? Well, if you've ever eaten a Godiva Raspberry Truffle (thank you, Aunt Janice, for introducing me), you'll find these to be that truffle in brownie form.
That quote from my husband is high praise considering that we take our brownies VERY seriously around here. As in, we already have some killer, go-to, completely delectable brownies recipes we love:
- caramel brownies
- twix brownies
- guinness-vanilla bean frosted mocha brownies
- whoppers brownies
- everyday brownies
- ...there are MORE!
The tart and sweet raspberry swirl that runs through these brownies is truly a
thing of beauty. Add freeze-dried raspberries to the batter, along with a
dusting of freeze-dried raspberry on top, and you have yourself some
swoon-worthy brownies.
These are FUDGY brownies...not cakey. Cakey is for cake. There, someone had to
say it.
How to Make Raspberry Brownies
It starts with a raspberry sauce. You'll make it with frozen raspberries (no
thawing required), Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar, water, and
cornstarch.
I like to strain the sauce to remove the seeds.
Next, you'll pulverize freeze-dried raspberries into a powder.
This gets stirred into the brownie batter and sifted on top of the cooled
brownies.
Find
freeze-dried raspberries at Target
or on
Amazon. I've also seen them at Trader Joe's, but they currently seem to be out of
stock.
Want to make a pattern on top of your brownies?
Use strips of waxed paper to make a pattern, then sift the freeze-dried
raspberry powder over the top. Carefully lift off the waxed paper.
I love that the raspberry swirl makes cool patterns in the brownies. Do you
see the heart? Tell me you see the heart!
Raspberry Brownies
YIELD: 24 servings
PREP TIME: 30 minutes
BAKE TIME: 30 minutes
1 1/2 cups frozen raspberries
1 cup + 2 tablespoons
Imperial Sugar Extra-Fine Granulated Sugar, divided
2 teaspoons water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 (1-1.5 ounce) bag freeze-dried raspberries
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 cup packed
Imperial Sugar Light Brown Sugar
1 cup Dutch-process cocoa
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
Preheat oven to 325. Grease a 9x13" pan lightly. Line with foil. Grease the
foil.
In a small saucepan, heat raspberries and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. Once raspberries have released
their juice, increase heat to medium, continuing to stir frequently until it
starts to bubble. Stir water and cornstarch together, then add to
raspberries. Cook at a low boil for one minute.
Pour through a mesh sieve placed over a bowl. Use the back of a spoon or
silicone spatula to press the puree through, discarding seeds. Set aside.
Blitz freeze-dried raspberries in a food processor until they are a fine
powder.
Melt the butter over medium-low heat in a saucepan. Once melted, stir in
remaining 1 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar. Heat until hot to the
touch but not boiling. Remove from heat.
Whisk in the cocoa, salt, baking powder, and 1 and 1/2 tablespoons
freeze-dried raspberry powder. Whisk in vanilla. Stir in the eggs one at a
time until well incorporated. Stir in the flour.
Spread into the pan. Spoon raspberry puree in dollops over the top, then use
a knife to gently swirl. Bake for 30-32 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Once
cooled, use the foil to lift the brownies out of the pan and onto a cutting
board. Sift remaining freeze-dried raspberry powder over the top, using
waxed paper to make a pattern, if desired.
