I Tried the Recipe for Blackberry Brownies and It’s the Closest Thing to Perfect That You’ll Get
Brownie Ingredients: 175g dark chocolate (55-70% cocoa solids, buy best you can), 175g butter, cubed, 25g cocoa powder (good quality), 3 eggs, 225g soft brown sugar, 1tsp vanilla extract, 100g plain flour sifted
Berry Ganache Ingredients: 100g frozen raspberries or blackberries - lightly defrosted, 60g double cream - warmed, 180g white chocolate - melted
I consider myself to be of the school of thought that “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” While that idea has served me well over the years, it sure means nothing in the kitchen. Someone is always going to offer up an alternative to your favorite recipe that completely changes the game for you — and for that, I have truly learned to be grateful.
Now I know we all have our opinions on what makes a delicious brownie; I would have been the first to tell you that the combination of chocolate chunks, moistness, and perfectly chewy texture is all you need. When I caught wind of Thida Bevington and her brownies with a gorgeous blackberry and white chocolate ganache, however, I sure had another thing coming.
I first learned of the recipe through U.K. content creator My Comfort Bakes — and after seeing it, it was all the inspiration I needed to put my opinions on the back burner and give this recipe a shot. And because brownies … need I say more?
How to Make Blackberry Brownies
Start by whisking eggs in a medium-sized bowl until they are nice and frothy. Gradually add caster sugar, whisking all the while. Once all the sugar is added, whisk for another minute, then pour in melted butter, whisking constantly. Add vanilla extract and whisk again before sifting in flour and cocoa powder. Fold over with a spatula and continue to do so until all the ingredients have combined, resulting in a smooth-looking batter.
Line an 8-inch square tin with parchment paper and pour in the brownie batter. Use a spatula to smooth out the top and fill in the corners, making everything level. Bake in a preheated oven at 355°F for about 18 to 20 minutes. When a skewer can be inserted and removed with a few gooey bits on it, your brownies will be finished. Leave to cool while you make the ganache.
For this step, use your microwave to slowly melt white chocolate. The method I used was to microwave in 20-second increments, stirring between each one until the chocolate was melted and smooth.
Next, using a food processor, blitz blackberries and pass through a fine strainer until you have blackberry purée. Combine the blackberry purée with heavy whipping cream and mix well before warming it up in the microwave for about 45 seconds. Combine the cream and purée mixture with your already-melted white chocolate and stir until smooth.
Pour the ganache onto the top of the cooled brownies in the tin, covering every inch of the surface area. Place in the fridge for at least an hour to allow the ganache to set. Once set, pull the brownies out of the tin using the excess edges of parchment paper and dress it up however you like before biting into its gooey goodness.
My Honest Opinion of Blackberry Brownies
I thoroughly enjoyed this recipe. Being a world-class sucker for brownies, I knew I was going to like this fresh take on a chocolatey classic. What shocked me most was just how amazing the blackberry and white chocolate ganache turned out. The way it draped over the sides of the brownies as I removed the parchment paper was something out of a movie. I imagine this to be the actual visual representation of perfection.
I let out multiple awe-inspired gasps throughout the process of making these brownies and can only hope that these words and photos are convincing enough to get someone else to try these near-perfect brownies. Thida Bevington is the truth and she needs to be protected at all costs.
3 Tips for Making Blackberry Brownies
Grease the pan and the parchment paper. Not only will greasing the pan allow you to pull the brownies out with ease using the edges of the parchment paper, but sliding the brownies off the paper will also be just as easy if you grease the parchment paper as well.
More berries please. When making the blackberry purée, I found it easier to measure more than 100 grams before blitzing in the food processor. The more you use to begin with, the quicker you will get to 60 grams after the straining process.
Don’t be afraid to dress it up a bit. While brownies don’t need much visual flare to still be delicious, the purple color of the blackberry ganache almost made this recipe stand out as being more decadent than your average brownie. I followed Thida and My Comfort Bakes’s lead on this and incorporated a floral arrangement, but it wasn’t just for the beautiful display. In my opinion, it elevated the recipe to an almost luxurious standard and I didn’t hate it at all.