leftover easter egg brownies

leftover Easter egg brownies with
dried fruit and spices

I was given some chocolate eggs as Easter gifts. I am really grateful for the kind thought (it would be churlish not to be), but frankly there is just so much Easter egg I can eat. More of a nibble really. I am loath to say that they are wasted on me, but fortunately I had a good way of using up the chocolate.

So not only was this recipe a brilliant way of using up the wreck of a couple of Easter eggs, I was able to combine the chocolate with some soaked dried fruits (from a failed Chelsea Bun experiment, more of this another time) and leftover marzipan. These brownies are suitably gooey and make a nice change from the killer chocolate brownies I usually make. 

Makes about 25 small brownies
Skill level: Easy

ingredients:
250g butter
200g dark chocolate
150g soft brown sugar
4 x medium eggs
50g plain flour, sifted
40g cocoa, sifted
½ tsp of baking powder
a pinch of salt - optional (use if using unsalted butter)
1tsp mixed spice
¼ tsp grated nutmeg
about 100g dried fruit, (currants, raisins, sour cherries and sultanas) soaked in black tea or fruit juice (apple, orange or cranberry work very well), drained well
marzipan, grated
icing sugar, cocoa or drinking chocolate - for dusting

directions:

1. Prepare a shallow baking or brownie tin (about 22cm by 22cm); line with lightly greased baking parchment.
2. Preheat the oven to 180C / Gas Mark 4.
3. Melt the butter, brown sugar and chocolate in a saucepan over a low heat. Stir constantly to create a soft chocolate sauce. Set aside to cool slightly.
4. Beat the eggs together in a large mixing bowl.
5. Stir in the slightly cooled melted chocolate sauce. (It needs to be cooled in order that it does not cook the eggs).
6. Stir in the well-drained dried fruit.
7. Sift together the flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder and spices.
8. Fold these dry ingredients into the chocolate and egg mixture. Ensure that it is well combined. Tip the brownie batter into the prepared tin and bake in the middle of the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes. (My oven is quite hot so I tend to check after about 15 minutes to see how set the cake is in the centre).
9. Leave to cool, before turning out of the tin and cut into squares. (I tend to leave this for a decent length of time, sometimes overnight, otherwise the brownies disintegrate when cutting and are only suitable for serving as a pudding, with thick double cream. And none the worse for that!)
10. Dust with icing sugar, cocoa or drinking chocolate before serving.

tip:

• I had thought of using up my Christmas mincemeat instead of the dried fruit. While this would have worked very well, I am a little mincemeated out. Perhaps in the Autumn!