… The Viking and I don’t celebrate Valentines Day. This may sound cheesy but we don’t need that one day of commercialised declaration when we have all three hundred and sixty five… I’m not really a huge fan of posting Valentines recipes if i’m honest but I realise that many people are and it’s nice to be nice and maybe inspire someone to make these for someone else. When we were kids Valentines Day was all about secret love, cards were posted and signed anonymously and that was the big thing… now it seems everyone openly declares love and the magic is gone. We even had a special post-box at school (I think this was also the ‘letters to Father Christmas’ post-box) where all the girls would gleefully and openly post their letters and all the boys secretly snuck up to and posted when no-one was looking, the day was fraught with prepubescent love and the following day was a litany of who sent cards to whom and which of the school studs got-off with the popular girl on the swings in the park on the way home from school… oh those were the days and thank fuck they’re over…
chocolate-box brownies
much like my christmas cake brownies these brownies have left-overs at their heart. You know that box of chocolates you’ve just purchased for you loved-one (or just received if you’re really lucky..) well these brownies make use of the last few that either you’re completely sick of or don’t like. This is my go-to absolute favourite brownie recipe. I’ve looked back on my blog to see where it came from but I seem to tweak it each time so I really can’t fid the source… anyway, they are so good. Perfectly fudge and intensely chocolatey. One is more than enough. But do remember, these brownies are for making on any other day of the year… do not make them on valentines day, they will taste bitter…
ingredients
185g butter
185g good quality dark chocolate – at least 70% cocoa solids
3 large eggs
275g golden caster sugar
85g plain flour
a pinch of salt
40g cocoa powder
a handful of chocolate box chocolates
grease and line a 20cm square brownie pan, pre-heat the oven to 160C
in a pan gently melt the butter and chocolate – do this over a really low heat and stir regularly – take it off the heat before it’s fully melted and set aside to cool, stirring again as it melts
in a large bowl beat the eggs and sugar with an electric mix for about 6 minutes until it doubles in volume and becomes pale, light and airy then pour in the melted and cooled chocolate and gently fold in until it’s fully combined
sieve in the flour, salt and cocoa and again, gently fold in, and pour the mixture into your brownie pan.
disperse your chocolate box chocolates evenly over the brownie (so that there would be at east one per cut brownie) and push them into the mixture
bake on 160C for 25 mins then remove from the oven and let it cool in the tin – cut into squares or cut out heart shapes and serve
I am entering these brownies into the we should cocoa bloggers challenge. Founded by Chocolette from the Chocolate Log Blog and hosted this month by Katie from Recipe for Perfection… the theme being brownies…
I am also entering the brownies into the AlphaBakes bloggers challenge hosted by Carline from Caroline Makes and Ros from The More Than Occasional Baker… the letter this month is V for Valentines
ignore the naysayers who tell you you’ve wasted so much brownie by cutting out the heart-shapes (which you know will be put to very good use) and eat and of course, enjoy!
Whadyamean you don't celebrate Valentine's day? Lucky, lucky Viking who has to sample all this gorgeousness! These are splendid brownies.
Like you say, Thanks Fuck those days are over! Loving your brownie hearts! Happy V Day when it comes 😉 x
They look wonderfully dark and fudgy. With those chocs its two treats in one!
Gorgeous looking brownies. I think they are my favourite thing to eat in the cake world if I'm honest. I'm a big fan of Nigella's. Our wedding anniversary is 13th February (its a long story) and we don't really do much for that these days cos it's the same day our son was diagnosed with his leukaemia (an age ago these days and we really should have got over it) – so Valentines definitely doesn't get a look in! Saying that, we usually manage to exchange cards, for form if nothing else!
Love how you add the chocolates, gorgeous! Great idea for this coming valentine.
Dom – not only are these gorgeous brownies but I LOVED your story about secret love and what it's like to have that excitement again. Very “sweet” indeed – good for you using all 365 days to be romantic! Bravo! I could eat a heart shaped brownie – warm from the oven, with a scoop of ice cream maybe? So delicious and rich.
Great idea! Perfect for Valentine's Day
Please send one over or maybe two or three just because one won't be enough! I love brownies and the extra chocolate is an extra indulgence. Yum! Thanks for entering AlphaBakes.
I agree that Valentine's Day has sunk into being just another opportunity for commercialism and the selling of lots of naff junk. I'm not averse to the odd Chocolate Brownie though – at any time of the year. Having been at a boys-only boarding school, the exchange of Valentines cards (such as you describe) was a definite No-No in those days!!
SNAP! We don't do Valentine's either Dom, as you know as you have read my post, but it is nice to be a bot frivolous now and then and this is a FAB recipe too!
Oh, how pretty! We DO do Valentine's because it is so close to our wedding anniversary … 35 years and still going strong! It's a bloody miracle! I'm dusting off my heart-shaped cookie cutters also! You've done yours justice, dearie!
Oh wonderful Dom, this did make me laugh. I hated Valentine's Day at school, I only ever got the jokey horrible ones, if I got anything at all. We don't do Valentine's Day either, though Feb 14th is a special day for me and my blog.
These hearty brownies do look rather special Dom and the good thing about cutting them out is you get to eat all the inbetweeny bits without anyone knowing. Thanks for having a go and getting into the spirit – sort of 😉
Dom, we don't “do” Valentine's Day either. But I am a fan of heart-shaped stuff any day of the year! In fact, I had a hearts and roses themed afternoon tea last month, and today I posted my pastry heart jam tarts (for lack of a better name). Can't go wrong cutting brownies into hearts for me! And the texture looks perfect.
Successfully made this! Added more chocolates and some hazelnuts, MARVELLOUS!
I agree V Day has become so commercial it now seems to lack its intended sentiment, but at least for the kids, there is still some secret intrigue to it…… My nine year old snuck into school early today to put a wonderful home-made scroll on the desk of someone she liked……. apparently he spent the whole day guessing who left it there! Sweet!!!!
The brownies look amazing… Love how you've cut them out into hearts!
I too never celebrated V day in my life, wish I could taste that wonderful brownies.. .
Wasted brownie? Perks of being the cook I call that! I often get off cuts or leftover mousse etc when making cakes and they're the best bit!
I love dunking chocolates inside cakes, did they remain quite well formed? I suppose you could always chill them before adding to the batter.
They look delicious.
What a brilliant idea to use up that leftover chocolate! There's always a few odds and ends of chocolate around here that could definitely be used for this purpose!
I never have leftover chocolates… but I love the idea of chucking a handful of sweets into the chocolate brownie mixture! Thanks for sharing these with Alphabakes.
I must admit I never had a brownie in my life 🙁 Well, it is never too late to try 🙂 Thanks for great recipes, I will try this as soon as I can.