Chocolate Covered Strawberry Brownies

The strawberries are here, but with the exceedingly strange weather we’ve been having this year, I am a little worried it is going to be an abbreviated season.  So I have been making the most of what I have.  I keep a big colander of berries in the fridge and snack on them throughout the day, I’ve put up jars of jam and I have been baking up a storm.  I love this too-brief interlude when I have strawberries every day, before I say goodbye to fresh ones until next season.

I love strawberries and chocolate and have been working on a way to combine the two in a fun and simple brownie.  So I added some berries to my basic brownie recipe and covered it in a sweet, creamy strawberry frosting.  And darned if doesn’t taste like the fancy chocolate covered berries famous around here.  I added a little drizzle of melted chocolate to pretty them up.  Dip some berries in the extra melted chocolate for a nice decorative touch.

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Brownies

½ cup (1 stick) butter

2 cups granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup finely diced strawberries

For the Frosting:

½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened

3 cups confectioners sugar

¼ cup mashed strawberries

For the Drizzle:

3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate

 

Preheat the oven to 350°.  Line an 8 by 8 inch pan with non-stick foil or parchment paper.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over low heat or in a large bowl in the microwave.  Don’t let the butter boil or foam, just melt it.  Leave to cool slightly.

Stir the sugar and vanilla into the butter, then add the eggs and stir until well combined.  Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt and stir until completely combined.  Fold in the strawberries, distributing them evenly.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20 – 25 minutes, until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan.

For the frosting:

Beat the butter until creamy in the bowl of an electric or stand mixer.  Slowly beat in the sugar, scraping the sides of the bowl.  Add the mashed berries alternately with the sugar until the frosting is creamy, smooth and spreadable.  Use an offset spatula to spread the frosting evenly over the top of the brownies.  Chill the frosted brownies until the frosting is firm.

For the Drizzle:

Break the chocolate into small pieces and place in a small microwave bowl.  Microwave at high power for one minute, then stir until smooth.  If needed, zap in 15 minute intervals, stirring after each burst, until melted and smooth.  Use a fork to drizzle the chocolate over the chilled frosting.

Makes 16 brownies

*Dice the berries into small pieces and place in a measuring jug.  Mash with a fork until juicy and the pieces are small.  Beating in the mixer will bash them up a bit more.