Moist brownie with cranberries, walnuts, and a hint of orange

Name: Moist brownie with cranberries, walnuts, and a hint of orange
Prep time: 90 min
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients: 130 g Butter; 200 g Bitter chocolate 70%; 180 g Brown sugar; 180 szt. Egg; 90 g Wheat flour; 30 g Cocoa; 2 szczypta Salt; 10 g Vanilla extract; 30 ml Espresso (concentrated); 120 g Dried cranberries; 120 g Walnuts; 6 g Grated orange zest; 100 ml 30% cream; 2 szczypta Coarse salt (for sprinkling); 30 g Coconut flakes (optional)

Cakes and Bakes Desserts 90 min Medium 13 wyświetleń ~57.89 PLN - (0)

Description

Moist, intensely chocolatey brownie with crunchy walnuts and sweet-sour cranberries, complemented by the aroma of orange zest and espresso. Inspired by classic brownies, but with a personal touch: warm cranberry jam made from dried cranberries and slightly browned butter for a deeper, nutty flavor. The result is a cake with a dense, chewy texture, featuring distinct pieces of nuts and a marbled pattern of cranberries, drizzled with a delicate dark chocolate glaze. Perfect as a dessert with coffee, for a gathering with friends, or as an elegant option for the holiday table. Serve slightly warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or completely cooled as a sweeter snack — the appearance and taste attract both chocolate lovers and those who enjoy a sweet-sour contrast.

Składniki (15)

Servings:

Butter 130 g
Bitter chocolate 70% 200 g
Brown sugar 180 g
Egg 3 szt.
Wheat flour 90 g
Cocoa 30 g
Vanilla extract 10 g
Espresso (concentrated) 30 ml
Dried cranberries 120 g
Walnuts 120 g
Grated orange zest 6 g
30% cream 100 ml
🌿 Przyprawy
Salt 0.1 szczypt
✨ Opcjonalne
Coarse salt (for sprinkling) 2 szczypty
Coconut flakes (optional) 30 g

💰 Szacowany koszt dania: ~57.89 PLN (4.82 PLN/porcję)

💡 Kliknij na składnik aby oznaczyć jako użyty

Preparation steps

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 170°C with fan (if you don't have a fan, set it to 180°C). Prepare a 20x20 cm square baking pan: line the bottom and sides thoroughly with parchment paper, leaving 2 cm of overhanging paper on the sides to make it easier to remove the brownie after baking.

Use a 20x20 cm (oven-safe, metal) pan. Cut the parchment paper so that it extends over the sides — this will make it easier to remove the cake. Start preheating the oven before preparing the batter to ensure a stable temperature.

Preparing the cranberries

In a small saucepan, place 120 g of dried cranberries and add 60 ml of water and 10 g (about 1 tablespoon = 15 g, but we provide 10 g as a teaspoon) of sugar (you can use part of the sugar from the recipe). Add grated orange zest (6 g). Heat over low heat for 6-8 minutes, stirring, until the cranberries soften and the juice reduces to a thick, slightly sticky jam. Set aside to cool.

Ingredients: Dried cranberries, Grated orange zest, Brown sugar

Use a small saucepan with a diameter of 14-16 cm. If you don't have a scale for 10 g of sugar, add 1 full teaspoon (about 5 g) and gradually sweeten to taste. The jam should be thick and slightly sticky, but not dry.

Nuts

Spread the walnuts (120 g) on a dry skillet and toast over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, shaking the skillet every few seconds, until they start to smell fragrant and lightly brown. Transfer to a cutting board and chop coarsely with a knife.

Ingredients: Walnuts

Use a 24 cm diameter pan. Do not leave the nuts unattended - they can easily burn. Roasting will enhance the flavor and improve the texture in the dough.

Butter and chocolate

Over medium heat, melt 130 g of butter in a wide saucepan or pot, then continue heating, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the butter begins to foam and turns a light nutty color (brown butter). Remove from heat immediately to avoid burning. To the hot brown butter, add 200 g of chopped dark chocolate and let it sit for 1-2 minutes, then stir until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Add 30 ml of espresso and mix well.

Ingredients: Butter, Bitter chocolate 70%, Espresso (concentrated)

Use a wide saucepan so that the butter has a large surface area and browns more easily. Browned butter has a nutty aroma and a light brown color — if you see dark bits, it means it's burnt and you need to start over.

Chocolate batter

In a large bowl, beat 180 g of eggs with 180 g of brown sugar using a fork (or whisk) for 1-2 minutes, until the mixture becomes more uniform and slightly shiny. Slowly pour the cooled chocolate-butter mixture into the beaten eggs, stirring vigorously with a silicone spatula to combine the ingredients, but do not over-aerate the mixture. Add 10 ml of vanilla extract and mix thoroughly.

Ingredients: Egg, Brown sugar, Vanilla extract, Bitter chocolate 70%, Butter

Use a large, not too deep bowl for comfortable mixing. Gradually pour in the chocolate (in a few portions) so that the eggs do not curdle from the hot mixture. Do not beat with a mixer on high speed — we want a thick, not aerated texture.

Dry ingredients

Sift 90 g of wheat flour and 30 g of cocoa into a separate bowl. Add 2 g of salt. Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the chocolate mixture using a silicone spatula just until combined — do not mix for more than 15-20 seconds. The dough should be thick, shiny, and slightly sticky.

Ingredients: Wheat flour, Cocoa, Salt

Use a sieve to sift the cocoa and flour to avoid lumps. Gently fold from the bottom up and only until there are no more dry spots visible.

Cake Assembly

Pour about 2/3 of the chocolate mixture into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. On top, place 2-3 teaspoons of the prepared cranberry jam in several spots, then sprinkle one third of the chopped nuts. Layer the remaining brownie mixture on top, and dot the remaining cranberry jam over it. Using a toothpick or a thin knife, make a few swirling motions (gentle "marbling") to aesthetically blend the cranberry into the mixture, but do not completely mix it in.

Ingredients: Bitter chocolate 70%, Dried cranberries, Walnuts

Use a teaspoon to dollop the jam to make small blobs — too much jam can cause uneven baking. Swirl gently, do not mix to homogenize.

Baking and cooling

Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes at 170°C (fan). After 25 minutes, perform the toothpick test: insert a toothpick into the center of the brownie — there should be moist crumbs left, not raw liquid batter. If the toothpick comes out with wet batter, bake for another 3-5 minutes. Once baked, remove the pan and let it cool on a rack until completely cool (at least 45 minutes) — the brownie stabilizes its structure while cooling.

The oven may bake differently — watch the cake from the 22nd minute. Do not overbake the brownie; slightly underbaked centers are better than a dry river. Cooling in the pan will prevent the surface from sinking.

Glaze (ganache)

While the brownie is cooling, prepare a quick glaze: in a small saucepan, heat 100 ml of cream over low heat until it starts to steam slightly (do not boil). Remove from heat and immediately pour in 50 g of chopped dark chocolate (use part of the 200 g), wait 1 minute, then stir until the glaze is smooth. Add 10 g of butter and stir until glossy. Leave to cool slightly so that the glaze is not too runny.

Ingredients: 30% cream, Bitter chocolate 70%, Butter

Use a small saucepan and a thin spatula for stirring. Heat the cream until it steams, but do not bring it to a boil — boiled cream can cause the glaze to separate. The glaze should be thick but pourable.

Decoration and serving

Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled brownie. Sprinkle the remaining walnuts on top and — if using — a bit of coconut flakes. Optionally, lightly sprinkle with coarse salt (2 g) for flavor contrast. Set aside for 15-20 minutes until the frosting slightly sets. Remove the brownie from the pan using the overhanging paper and cut into 12 pieces with a sharp knife, cleaning it with a damp cloth after each cut for aesthetically pleasing pieces.

Ingredients: Coarse salt (for sprinkling), Coconut flakes (optional), Walnuts, Bitter chocolate 70%

Use a large, sharp knife for cutting. If the frosting is too soft, place it in the fridge for 10 minutes. Use salt sparingly — it should enhance the flavor, not dominate it.

Serving

Serve the brownie slightly warm (after 10-15 minutes of drizzling with the glaze) with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or without — according to preference. The pieces pair beautifully with a small cup of espresso.

If you plan to cut the cake earlier, completely cooled brownie gives more even pieces. Warm brownie, on the other hand, is more gooey and creamy in the middle.

Fun Fact

💡

Adding browned butter to baked goods is an old technique used by bakers to achieve a deeper, nutty aroma — in French cuisine, it is called 'beurre noisette' (hazelnut butter). Meanwhile, a small amount of coffee in chocolate baked goods intensifies the chocolate flavor without imparting a coffee taste.

Best for

spotkanie przy kawie świąteczne wypieki przyjęcie dla przyjaciół

Tips

🍽️ Serving

Serve with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or fresh raspberries for a tartness. The pieces can be lightly warmed in the microwave (10-15 seconds) before serving to make the sauce runny again.

🥡 Storage

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. To extend freshness, place in the refrigerator for up to 7 days (the frosting will be firmer). To refresh, heat a single piece for 10-12 seconds in the microwave.

📸 Ugotowane przez społeczność

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Ingredients (15)

Servings:

Butter 130 g ~5.20 zł
Bitter chocolate 70% 200 g ~12.00 zł
Brown sugar 180 g ~0.54 zł
Egg 3 szt. ~1.44 zł
Wheat flour 90 g ~0.36 zł
Cocoa 30 g ~0.75 zł
Vanilla extract 10 g ~1.50 zł
Espresso (concentrated) 30 ml ~0.15 zł
Dried cranberries 120 g ~24.00 zł
Walnuts 120 g ~9.60 zł
Grated orange zest 6 g ~0.09 zł
30% cream 100 ml ~1.50 zł
🌿 Przyprawy
Salt 0.1 szczypt ~0.01 zł
✨ Opcjonalne
Coarse salt (for sprinkling) 2 szczypty ~0.00 zł
Coconut flakes (optional) 30 g ~0.75 zł

💰 Szacowany koszt dania: ~57.89 PLN (4.82 PLN/porcję)

💡 Kliknij na składnik aby oznaczyć jako użyty

Wartości odżywcze

🔥

5024 kcal

Kalorie

Białko 63.0g

Węglowodany 501.5g

Tłuszcze 318.0g

🔥

408 kcal

Kalorie

Białko 5.1g

Węglowodany 40.8g

Tłuszcze 25.9g

Wartości przybliżone, obliczone na podstawie składników

Autor przepisu Pichcik.pl

45 min

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