Blackberries and chocolate are not a combination that pops into mind readily. I think we tend to think summer and fruit and light and bright. But they make a wonderful pair, rich deep chocolate with the dusky purple winey-ness of the berries. Last summer, I pulled together this Chocolate Blackberry Cake with Red Wine, all majestic, lush flavors and the idea has kind of stuck with me. So for a more casual presentation, I added a swirl of blackberry to a moist and chewy chocolate brownie. And I feel like this is a summer brownie, with that fresh from the farmers market ribbon of fruity sweetness. It is an altogether sophisticated take on a brownie as well.
Start by cooking fresh blackberries down with sugar and lemon, then press out the pesky seeds. Thicken the mix with a little cornstarch so you get that hearty swirl. The brownies are decadent with cocoa powder and dark chocolate pieces – you could use bitter or semi sweet, but the dark add a little air of mystery. Don’t be precious about swirling the blackberry purée – you don’t get that defined, dramatic look with the purple puree and the dark chocolate batter that you might in a lighter dish, but the nice pop of blackberry in every bite is what you are going for. Cook these until they are set but still a bit fudgy in the center – a tester should have a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Because I think squidgy brownies are the best. Cut these into small squares as a little treat or larger slabs for a plated dessert with a scoop of ice cream (maybe this Blackberry Buttermilk version?).
Ingredients
- For the Swirl
1 1/2 cups fresh blackberries
3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
- For the Brownies
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
¾ cup cocoa powder
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup dark chocolate chips
Directions
- For the Swirl
- Put the berries, sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently and smashing the berries with the back of the spoon or spatula. When the berries are really soft and falling apart, about 10 minutes of cooking, put them in a wire mesh strainer set over a bowl and press out as much juice and pulp as possible, leaving only the seeds behind. Pour the juice back into the saucepan and in the bowl, mix the cornstarch and three tablespoons warm water until smooth. Scrape all of this mixture into the juice in the pan and cook, stirring, until the juice is slightly thickened. Not too thick and jammy, but a consistency like you’d pour over ice cream. This will just take a few minutes. Pour back into the bowl and leave to cool.
- For the Brownies
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8 by 8 inch baking pan with non-stick foil or parchment with an overhang for lifting out the finished brownies. Spray with cooking spray.
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium low heat. When the butter is melted, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sugar until combined, then add the cocoa powder and stir to completely combine. Leave to cool for about 10 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating quickly so they don’t cook – that’s why its important to have eggs at room temperature. Stir in the flour and salt, just until no streaks of dry ingredients are visible. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drizzle the blackberry sauce over the top of the brownies, then use a thin bladed knife to swirl it through the batter, pulling some batter up over the sauce. Don’t worry about how it looks, it isn’t visible in the dark brownie batter. Bake for 25 minutes until the brownie edges are set but the center is still a little fudgy. A tester should come out with crumbs clinging to it. Cool completely in the pan, then slice into squares.
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