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.