I saw a KAF recipe for Chocolate and Raspberry Brownie Bars. If you are a regular reader, you know I am baking about 800 one and two bite desserts for a fundraiser in March. Since brownies are baked in a sheet pan and cut to bite size, these brownies become a relatively easy way to make 4 dozen desserts (or about 6%) at once.

Basically this is a brownie with both chocolate chips and raspberry jammy bits folded into the batter and coated with a heavy layer of ganache. Once baked, and still warm a thinned coating of seedless raspberry jam is spread over the brownies. (Don’t over bake the brownies!) I cooled the coated brownies in the fridge for a while as I made and cooled to thicken the ganache.

While not essential topping with a raspberry and dusted with confectioners sugar really set this dessert off. (Rats, just ended that sentence with a preposition.)

CHOCOLATE AND RASPBERRY BROWNIE BARS

INGREDIENTS

BROWNIES

• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups dark cocoa
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 cup Raspberry Jammy Bits
• 3 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam
• 1 tablespoon  water

CHOCOLATE GANACHE GLAZE

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoons light corn syrup (20g)
• 2 2/3 cups (400 g)) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9″ x 13″ pan. To make very even bars, line the pan with aluminum foil before baking, leaving foil sticking up above the edges of the pan.
2. Crack the 4 eggs into a bowl, and beat them with the cocoa, salt, baking powder, and vanilla until smooth.
3. Add the sugar and melted butter, stirring until smooth.
4. Add the flour, chips, and Jammy Bits, again stirring well.
5. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.
6. Bake the brownies for about 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. The brownies should feel set on the edges, and the center should look moist, but not uncooked. Do not overbake! Remove them from the oven.
7. Heat the seedless raspberry jam with the water, and stir until smooth. Brush over the warm brownies. Set aside to cool for an hour or longer before topping with the ganache.
8. To make the ganache, heat the cream and corn syrup until they begin to steam. Pour over the chopped chocolate in a bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes, add any flavorings, and whisk until smooth. Let cool for 15 minutes or so.
9. Pour ganache over the brownies while it’s still warm, but has begun to thicken — reheat if it thickens too much as you work. Allow several hours for the ganache to set up fully. You may refrigerate the brownies to hasten the setting of the ganache.
10. Remove the brownies from the pan using the aluminum foil sling. Heat a knife in hot water, wipe dry and use to cut the brownies. Repeat with each cut.
11. Just before serving, garnish brownies with fresh raspberries and confectioners’ sugar, if desired.