White Chocolate and Strawberry Brownies

*Makes 9 (or 12 small brownies)*

Hands on time - 25 mins approx
Baking time - 25 mins approx

Ingredients

- 100g butter (unsalted)
- 150g dark chocolate
- 50g plain flour
- 30g cocoa powder
- 30g white chocolate
- 2 medium-sized eggs
- 200g caster suger
- a dozen strawberries
- baking paper
- x1 20cm by 20cm baking tin
- x3 mixing bowls

Method

1. Cut the 100g butter into small cubes and put into a mixing bowl. Add 100g dark chocolate, broken up. Fill a small saucepan with about a quarter boiling water and sit the mixing bowl over it, so as to melt the butter and dark chocolate. Alternatively, to save time, microwave them for approx 30 seconds/1 minute until fully melted. Leave to one side to cool.

2. Turn your oven onto 160C fan/gas mark 4. Grease your 20cm by 20cm baking tin with leftover butter and line with your baking paper. Make sure you leave the paper on all four sides overhanging the rim of the tin, as you can use them to pull the brownie tray out after baking is completed. Cut the paper if need be to sit it comfortably in the tin. The butter greased underneath will help you to pull it out easily.

3. Put 50g plain flour and 30g cocoa powder into your second mixing bowl. If there a lumps, put them through a sieve.

4. In your third bowl, break your eggs and all your caster sugar, and with an electric whisk on maximum speed, whisk together for approximately 3 minutes until it has a thick and creamy consistency. You'll know when ready as it will double in volume and become very pale.

5. Mix the cooled chocolate/butter mix into the egg/sugar mousse, and with a spatula, gently fold together so as to let the air get into the mixture - this will help with the overall finish and quality of your bake. Then add the flour/cocoa powder mixture using the same folding method until the whole mixture becomes fudgy. Finally, finely break up the remaining 50g dark chocolate and dot it into the mixture.

6. Pour the mixture into your baking tin and cook for 25 mins. You will know when it is ready as the top will become cracked and it will have come away from the tin. There will also be no wobble of the mixture if you gently shake the tin.

7. Once baked, use the overlapping paper to pull the brownie tray out of the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack. One cooled, cut into 9 pieces, or 12 if you want smaller brownies.

8. Slice your strawberries finely and lay them over the top of the brownie in an overlapping display. Remember, presentation is everything so think of these as luxury/delicatessen standard!

9. Melt your white chocolate either in a bowl over boiling water, or in the microwave, and either pipe it in a criss-cross fashion over your brownies. Alternatively in the jug or bowl you melted them in, pour over in the same fashion. Leave to cool.

Enjoy!

Note - If you keep them in a good air-tight container they will last for a week.