For some unknown reason, or a moment of weakness, QC and I volunteered to help our community’s wine club with their July wine tasting event. Even worse, I offered to make brownies to pair with the dessert wine for each of the 168 attendees.

For practice (I always practice) I made an 11”x15” pan of brownies and cut them into one inch squares. (Do the math.)

To make them s’moresy I piped some Italian meringue on top, browned some with a blowtorch and topped some with a raspberry. The raspberry isn’t very s’moresy, but I like raspberries.

CHOCOLATE AND RASPBERRY BROWNIE BARS

INGREDIENTS

BROWNIES
• 4 large eggs
• 1 ¼ cups dark cocoa
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 ¼ cups sugar 1 cup
• 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 ½ cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 cup Raspberry Jammy Bits
• 3 Tbl seedless raspberry jam
• 1 tablespoon water ½ Tbl water
CHOCOLATE GANACHE GLAZE
• ½ cup heavy cream
• ½tablespoons light corn syrup (20g)
• 1 1/3 cups (200 g)) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• ½ tablespoon vanilla extract

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 11″ x 15″ 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 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. The batter will be very thick.
5. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth.
6. Bake the brownies for about 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean (205 degrees,) 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 over bake! Remove them from the oven.
7. Heat the seedless raspberry jam with the water and stir until smooth. (I use 2 tsp of apply jelly, mixed with 1 tsp water and heated to melt the jelly.) 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.

ITALIAN MERINGUE

INGREDIENTS
• 3 egg whites room temperature
• 2/3 cup caster sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

METHOD

1. Wipe down all tools with white vinegar.
2. Place sugar and water mixture over medium heat for 5 minutes. Do not stir it at all during this time. The mixture will look cloudy.
3. Gently stir the mixture for 1 minute. There should be little to no granules of sugar left at this point.
4. Once the mixture begins to bubble from the bottom, 3 to 5 minutes, place the digital thermometer in the pot and increase to medium-high heat. Do not stir it at all after this.
5. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the eggs whites on low speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar, increase the speed to medium, and beat until soft peaks form.
6. Allow the sugar mixture to come to a boil and watch carefully. Once it reaches 230 °F turn stand mixer on highest speed to whip egg whites to peaks.
7. Once the sugar syrup reaches 240 °F, remove from heat and remove the probe. This takes about 4- 6 minutes. Allow the boiling to come to a slow bubble before moving on.
8. Slowly pour sugar syrup (steady stream) into whisked egg whites. Avoid the whisk attachment or it will fling your mixture all over the bowl.
9. Allow mixture to whisk for another 3-5 minutes until the mixer bowl is cool/room temperature to the touch..

Storing and Make Ahead Information:

1. Italian Meringue can be made ahead of time and stored in a piping bag or covered bowl, in the refrigerator covered for up to five days or at room temperature covered for up to three days.