Valentines Brownies

Not quite red velvet, not quite your regular chocolate brownie.

This magical hybrid is the 'Valentines Brownie'

I just came up with that, Do you like it?

I'll be completely honest with you. These were supposed to be Red Velvet Brownies but the red didn't come out as obviously as I was hoping (There's still a hint of red there) but the flavour was IN-CRED-IBLE!

Yup they are that tasty that I needed to put it in capitals.

It's rich and chocolatey but not overly sweet at all. It's perfect warm from the oven (trust me, I tested that theory with 2 bowls of it slathered in cream) so this is going to be your Valentines dinner dessert, you hear?

Without cream these brownies have that bitter after taste you get with a good quality dark chocolate but with cream, Oh my lord it becomes a divine pudding.

Now I don't know if you've heard (If you don't live in Ireland you probably wont have) but Avonmore are running a little valentines competition to run alongside their new 'Fresh Dessert Cream', So naturally my entry had to be something I could easily devour.

Also what's more romantic than staring into your loved ones eyes, all the while shoveling chocolate brownie into your face.

A warm from the oven Valentines Brownie with a very generous slosh of cold cream that is!

Now part of the competition is you have to give a tip for using the dessert cream with your recipe, but honestly you don't have to whisk this cream at all it's all ready for you in the bottle. No fuss. Just use it straight from the fridge (you want it cold with this beast of a brownie) and chow down.

Now I'm starting to sound like a sales person. Back to the brownie.

This isn't your regular brownie recipe. There's very little sugar (So yeah it's a healthy brownie . . . Well sort of) but it's packing a secret chocolate punch behind those fudgy walls.

And don't you just love the way I cut them. Just take a pint glass, plunge it into the warm brownie and voila! you have a round brownie, So cute.

 Ingredients:

90g / 3/1 oz Bitter Sweet Chocolate
85g / 3 oz White Chocolate
175g Butter
3 Eggs
130g / 2/3 Cup Caster/ Super Fine Sugar
75g Plain Flour
40g Cocoa Powder
2 Tbsp Red Liquid Food Dye

Dessert Cream to serve (As little or as much as you like - I err on the side of 'As much')

Method:

Preheat your oven to 180c / 350f and line an 8x8 brownie tin with tin foil.

Then in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, melt your chocolates and butter together until smooth then set aside to cool.

In a large mixing bowl whisk together the eggs and sugar. Aim for about 5 minutes as it's the whisking of the eggs and sugar that creates the crust on the top of the brownie.

Once the chocolate.butter mix is lukewarm pour it into the eggs and stir till combined.

Then add in the red food dye, beating until evenly distributed.

Then sift in the flour and the cocoa powder, carefully fold the dry ingredients in.

Then pour the brownie batter into your lined tin and pop in the oven for 35-40 minutes.

Do not over bake, test your brownie at the 35 minutes mark by sticking a skewer or toothpick into the centre of the brownie. There should be a few moist crumbs on the skewer/toothpick when you take out of the brownie.

Once baked allow it to cool for 5-10 minutes in the tin.

Then cut and serve while still warm, with a generous slathering of Dessert Cream.