Search This Blog

Search This Blog

Brownies with Dried Fruit

















My first recipe of 2009 is a delicacy created by my good friend Lisa over at Lisa's Kitchen. Lisa took a Nigella Lawson recipe for chocolate brownies with nuts, played about with it and in my opinion, made it infinitely better by adding dried fruit. This makes for a really moist brownie, with little hints of fruit, which is simply gorgeous! I cooked my brownies in a cake pan and served the first portion hot with custard. It was just what we wanted.

















Brownies with Dried Fruit

1 1/2 cups of unsalted butter
375 grams of dark chocolate
6 eggs
1 tablespoon of vanilla
2 1/2 cups of sugar
1 1/2 cups of unbleached white flour
1 teaspoon of sea salt
2 cups of chopped dried fruit


(Lisa used dates, figs and a few prunes, when I made it I added soft dried apricots and dates, which is what was sitting in my store cupboard)

Grease or line a 12 X 9 inch baking pan with parchment paper.

Melt the butter and chocolate together in a large, heavy bottomed pot.

In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, sugar and vanilla. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, chopped fruit and salt.

Pour the melted chocolate and butter into the egg and sugar mixture. Beat to combine and then add the flour and fruit and beat again. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for roughly 40 minutes, or until the top dries and begins to crack slightly and the interior is dark and gooey.

I am entering this brownie recipe into Ruth's Bookmarked Recipes .....where anyone from anywhere can blog about a recipe they had bookmarked from a cook book, food magazine, food blog, food website, from TV etc, make it and submit it to a weekly roundup. I think Lisa's recipe is well worthy of this challenge.

27 comments

  1. Brownies that are good for you too. I know I can handle that:D

    ReplyDelete
  2. I can't imagine anything better than brownies. .. except maybe brownies with custard ;) YUM!

    ReplyDelete
  3. ohhhh, my goodness... Brownies with custard sounds like the best idea ever... I agree with Ricki 100%! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. These look so good, and I have a few dried fruits that I want to use up too.
    Happy 09!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Happy New Year!
    What a great way to use up all the dried fruit left over from Christmas baking - I always have half packets of everything lying around. Delicious!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love adding adding dried sour cherries to brownies - but hubby is a pureist and likes them plain!

    ReplyDelete
  7. that sounds really delicious :)What an excellent idea with the dried fruit and custard!!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. These look yummy! Rather like fruitcake, though. You sure they wouldn't do well doused in alcohol & left sitting in a cool corner somewhere for a month or so? ;)

    ReplyDelete
  9. with the custard that sounds to me like a very chocolatey version of plum pudding - delish!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Your photos are awesome and make me want to dive right into the bowl of custard and brownie!!!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Ah, I thought this looked familiar! This is the recipe Lisa shared for SHF in November. Just as tempting second time around.

    Happy New Year, Holler!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Holler! It looks amazing. I have to ask - is the custard vegan? How did you make it?
    Happy New Year.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Oh how wonderful!
    Happy New Year Holler!

    ReplyDelete
  14. What a nice combination. I love this idea. Kinda like... chocolate fruitcake?? !!

    Happy New Year, my dear!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Me too Val almost guilt free, well almost :)

    Hi Ricki It takes me back to my school dinners, which were enjoyable and often included puddings with custard. Yum!

    it is lovely Astra, especially if they are both served warm to hot. Graham eat his brownie and custard cold, yeugh!

    Happy New Year Rita, I hope you try these to use up your dried fruit.

    Hi Antonia I am the same and tend to vary recipes to use what I have in the store cupboard.

    Hi Beth, I really like the thought of adding sour cherries to chocolate dishes. I wonder where I would be able to buy them?

    Hey Jo, I think I was tempted to serve it with custard, because I baked it in a flan tin and cut it into long sliced.

    Hey Davimack, I don't think that it would have lasted long enough to be soaked in alcohol and left aside.

    Hi Johanna, you will not believe it! I have never tried plum pudding before. Sounds good though.

    Thanks Staci :)

    That was when I got hooked Susan. Ii is a really tasty brownie.

    Happy New Year!

    Hi Cowgirl, it wasn't a vegan custard, i am afraid. Maybe someone else will have a recipe. Here is one i found on google.

    Happy New Year Nic :)

    It is definitely more of a brownie. Happy New Year Lo!

    ReplyDelete
  16. mm love the idea of fruit in the brownie

    ReplyDelete
  17. I loved the idea when I heard it to Anne and it certainly paid off with a very tasty brownie.

    ReplyDelete
  18. A great way to feel a little bit naughty, a little bit virtuous... Love it!

    ReplyDelete
  19. I am naughty way too often Jen and now you are giving me an excuse.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I meant Christmas pudding - have you never tasted that or have I confused you by saying plum pudding (which is another term we have for it)???

    ReplyDelete
  21. This is a genius idea! I never thought to add fruit to brownies but I can completely see how this would work and make it so moist too! :)

    ReplyDelete
  22. I'm so glad this recipe worked out for you Holler. I'm craving these now!

    ReplyDelete
  23. These do sound really good. I am thinking the fig, date and prunes ones...

    ReplyDelete
  24. I loved this combination of brownies with dried fruit, it looks so decadent :-)

    ReplyDelete
  25. Hi Johanna, I am easily confused, so it was probably the plum pudding that made me think of something else :)

    Hi Lorraine, I always think that you can find really inspired ideas while reading blogs, don't you? And of course Lisa is a talented young lady :)

    And talking of which, hello Lisa! Thank you for the recipe :)

    Figs, dates and prunes would be a perfect combination to add to these chocolate brownies Kevin, they would be extra moist and tasty :)

    Such a good word for them Usha :)

    ReplyDelete
  26. This is the first brownie recipe I've encountered that incorporates dried fruit and I like it, gives the brownies a unique twist!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Hi Sophie, I am glad you like it! It is definitely one I will be making again :)

    ReplyDelete

I love reading comments, so thank you for taking the time to leave one. Unfortunately, I'm bombarded with spam, so I've turned on comment moderation. I'll publish your comments as soon as I can and respond to them. Don't panic, they will disappear when you hit publish. Jac x