Sinner’s Brownies

Oops…I did it again.

I played with your heart, got lost in the game.

.…the brownie game.

I keep throwing all this chocolate at you, again and again, and I force you to just sit there and take it. I feel terrible. Really, I do. Your self-composure must surely be crumbling, and your loved ones are probably starting to worry for your sanity. Every time I do this to you, I know you’re struggling to resist temptation with every fiber of your being. And that is an agony no one should ever have to endure.

So you can try to fight it all you want, but this brownie…she’s a temptress you won’t be able to turn down. She’s fudgey, never cakey, and so deeply, divinely chocolatey that you may just find yourself falling into a deep state of sensual bliss.

So go ahead. Sin a little.

I’ve already tortured you with these outrageous triple fudge peanut butter brownies, but this time I’m subjecting you to ridiculously rich raspberry brownies. Because whether you’ve got a date for the approaching hallmark holiday or not, you deserve some real lovin’.

These brownies are a dream. The brownie recipe is adapted from David Lebovitz’s “Dave and Kate’s Brownies” (that’s Kate as in Katherine, as in Katherine Hepburn), and it’s my all-time favorite recipe for regular ol’ brownies. I’ve made these many times, and I’ve found that 2 cups of sugar, as double his recipe would suggest, is a bit too sweet for my liking. But I’m a bittersweet chocolate girl through and through, so if you lean more towards sweeter chocolate, feel free to add up to a 1/4 cup of sugar to the recipe below.

I spruced the basic recipe up by doubling it to make the brownies extra thick, and I swapped the walnuts out for chocolate chunks in order to get those little puddles of gooey chocolate in every bite. Then I topped it with swirls of raspberry jam to boost that razzy flavor.

I say ‘boost’ because there is another raspberry flavored reason I call these Sinner’s Brownies….

…and that reason is booze. C’mon, did you really think I’d make these kid friendly?

I’m not that innocent.

Sinner’s Brownies {Boozy Raspberry Fudge Brownies}
By L., adapted from David Lebovitz
Makes 8×8” pan; 16 thick brownies

8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup raspberry liqueur
5 ounces dark chocolate, chopped (about 1 1/4 cup of chunks) – I used 60% Callebaut
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
4-6 tablespoons raspberry jam

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line an 8×8” pan with parchment paper and butter it generously.

Melt the unsweetened chocolate and butter together, either in a double boiler or in the microwave in 30 second increments. Whisk in the sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and raspberry liqueur, mixing until combined after each addition. Switch to a spatula and gently fold in the flour and salt, followed by 1 cup of the chopped dark chocolate.

Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly into all the corners. Drizzle the brownies with 4 tablespoons of raspberry jam, then use a knife to gently swirl it into the batter. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of chopped dark chocolate on top, then bake for 30-45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with some wet crumbs on it. (Don’t over bake them or you’ll end up with cakey brownies. Oh, the horror.)

Drizzle more raspberry jam on top, if desired. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes – if you have any self-control. Serve with a tall glass of milk. Or even a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Because if we’re going to go big, we may as well go all the way.