Boozy Chocolate and Orange Brownies

We love chocolate brownies in all their various forms in our house, but these boozy chocolate and orange brownies are strictly for grown ups. 

They're rich, decadent and the intensity of the chocolate flavour, if you use a good chocolate is just wonderful. If you follow the below, you end up with a glossy topping that is slightly cracking, but a soft and squidgy, fudgey centre - just wonderful. 

I tend to use Cointreau as it's something I always have in stock, but you could substitute for another orange liqueur such as Triple Sec, Grand Marnier, Blue Curacao or Mandarine Napoleon. You could equally switch for a shot of Tia Maria or whisky if you prefer, in terms of taste, but the chocolate and orange works really well together. 

Boozy Chocolate and Orange Brownies

Here's how:

• 185g salted butter
• 200g dark chocolate of at least 85% cocoa solids
• 80g plain flour
• 50g cocoa
• 3 eggs
• 275g caster sugar
• Zest of 1 orange 
• 1 tsp freshly squeezed orange juice
• 2 tbsp Cointreau or alternative orange liqueur
• 50g white chocolate
• 50g milk chocolate
• 1 tbsp icing sugar

Fill and boil the kettle and then pour into a small saucepan on a low heat. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees. Grease and line a baking tin or dish and set aside.

Break up the dark chocolate and place into a bowl with the softened butter and gently melt over the saucepan. 

Once fully melted, remove the dark chocolate and butter from the heat. Grate the orange zest and add to the chocolate alongside the Cointreau, mix to combine and then set aside away from the hot water and allow to fully cool.

Roughly chop the white and milk chocolate into small chunks and set aside. 

Sift the plain flour and cocoa into a small bowl and set aside for a moment. 

Now in a mixing bowl add the sugar and eggs and whisk vigorously - if you have an electric whisk, it will take about five minutes, or by hand a good eight to ten. You want there to be a thick and creamy feel to the texture, as if you was making mousse. 

Now gently pour in the chocolate mixture and combine as carefully as you can, trying not to knock the air out that you have just painstaking whisked in. 

Once combined, sift over the cocoa and flour, now use the figure of eight method of mixing in, again being careful to be as gentle as possible.

Once it has formed a wet batter, add the chocolate chunks and stir through - try not to over-work here as you will knock the air out. 

Now pour into the greased, lined baking tin ad try to even out as best you can.

Place into the oven, on a middle shelf and allow to bake for 28 minutes exactly. 

Remove from the oven and give a good bang, if there is no wobble in the middle, the brownies are done, if there is a wobble return for a few more minutes then check again.

Once out of the oven, keep in the tin and place somewhere cool. Allow the brownies to cool completely before you attempt to remove them.

Cut into your preferred sized portions whilst still in the tin, and before serving dust with a little icing sugar for a final flourish. 

These will keep in an air tight container for up to a week, however I doubt they last that long; they are very moreish. Enjoy!

A few other bakes you might like to try:
Mary Berry's Marbled Chocolate Cake
Apple Cake
Lemon Drizzle Cake
Coffee & Walnut Traybake with Vanilla Latte Icing
Peach Upside Down Cake
Lemon & Honey Yoghurt Cake with Blueberries
St Clement's Drizzle Cake