Be My Valentine Brownies (Raspberry and Almond)

I wanted to create a special recipe to celebrate Valentine's Day. It simply had to involve chocolate and something red (to signify the heart). Strawberries wouldn't have worked in this bake, but raspberries, they are a perfect match with dark chocolate. Then it needed something else to give it that extra edge - a nut perhaps. I was going to side with walnuts - they are after all - good for the heart. But it didn't seem quite right. Then I settled on flaked almonds. Raspberry and almond are perfect bed fellows in a bake and so too are chocolate and almond, you find them in tarts and cakes the world over. So here they all happily join together in a Raspberry and Almond Brownie recipe for Valentine's Day.

Ingredients

125g Butter
200g Dark Chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa)
175g Caster Sugar
125g Raspberries
1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste (or Vanilla Extract)
2 Eggs (lightly beaten)
150 g Plain Flour
50 g Flaked Almonds

Method

Preheat oven to 190 degrees C (170 fan). Grease a 20cm x 30cm brownie tin. Line the base and sides with baking paper. Roughly chop the chocolate and butter and combined in a large saucepan and melt over a very low heat on the stove (stirring occasionally). Once melted - remove from the heat. Stir in the caster sugar, eggs and vanilla bean extract. Then stir in the the sifted flour and add the raspberries and almonds mixing carefully until combined. Spread the mixture evenly over the base of the baking tin.

Bake for 17-20 minutes. Check it at about 17 minutes - you don't want to overcook it. It should be just firm to touch in the middle. Remove and allow to cool in the tin.

Cut into squares and share with your loved one on Valentine's Day.

Rhubarb love

Hurrah - forced rhubarb is back on our shelves! It's delicately pink, full of flavour and delicious for cooking and eating. I picked up a bunch at a farm shop in Buckinghamshire today and will prepare it in my usual way - braised slowly in the oven its own juices (and a sprinkling of sugar).

I used to always boil rhubarb with water and sugar and often ended up with a slimy mess that looked like phlegm. It tasted ok, but nothing like when its baked in the oven. I discovered this little secret from Dan Lepard who shared the method in his column in The Guardian. It's not rocket science but when measured and cooked correctly - you will never go back. So, hat's off to Mr Lepard here for the measurements.

800 g chopped rhubarb
100 g of caster sugar

Set oven to 170 degrees C or 150 degrees C (fan forced oven). Chop the rhubarb stalks into lengths about 3-4 cms long. Place the chopped rhubarb in a shallow baking dish so that it is about one layer deep and sprinkle evenly with sugar. Cover the dish with foil. Bake in a warmed over for about 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool with the foil on (to retain the colour and moisture).

I have shared this method with family and friends and it is what helped me on my winning way preparing the Rhubarb Pie on Baking Mad with Eric Lanlard. When I was in New Zealand I shared it with my friend Gwyneth and her Mum who have been baking the stalks in the same way. They took some of their homecooked stalks into Sugar Juice Cafe recently and the final result ended up on sale - The Rhubarb and Apple Shortcake and Rhubarb Dream Slice look to die for! Take a look at the pictures below.

Try this method and you will never boil rhubarb ever again.