These brownies not only taste great eaten cold with a cup of coffee, they also make a deliciously decadent dinner party dessert if warmed and served with dairy-free ice cream.
makes: 16 squares
preparation: 30 minutes
baking: 35 minutes
cooling: 30 minutes
freeze: Yes
225g (8oz) good-quality (60% cocoa) dark dairy-free chocolate
125g (4½oz) dairy-free spread
3 tbsp soya double cream
3 large eggs, beaten
225g (8oz) caster sugar
2 tbsp kirsch or kirsch syrup from a jar of cherries
160g (5½oz) wheat- and gluten-free plain flour
1 tsp xanthan gum
100g (3½oz) good-quality (60% cocoa) dark dairy-free chocolate drops (or chopped chocolate)
450g (1lb) jar of black cherries in kirsch (175g/6oz drained weight)
equipment
8 x 27cm (7 x 10½ inch) shallow baking tin
* Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/Gas 4. Grease and line the baking tin with baking parchment, leaving a couple of centimetres (about 1 inch) over at the ends to help lift the brownies out of the pan when baked.
* Melt the chocolate, dairy-free spread and soya cream together in a heatproof bowl. You can either do this over a simmering pan of water on the hob, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water, or microwave on a high setting for about 1½ minutes. Stir to make sure the ingredients have melted together.
* Place the eggs into a mixing bowl and, using a hand-held electric mixer, whisk until frothy. Add the sugar and kirsch and whisk until thick and mousselike. Add the melted chocolate mixture, whisking until combined.
* Sift the flour and xanthan gum into the mixture and fold in with a large metal spoon until combined, then stir in the 100g (3½oz of chocolate drops or chopped chocolate.
* Spoon the mixture into your brownie pan, spreading evenly and levelling the surface. Drop the cherries gently onto the surface.
* Bake in the oven for 35 minutes or until a metal skewer inserted in the middle of the brownies comes out just clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the pan for a minimum of 30 minutes.
* Once cooled, remove the brownies from the tin, peel off the baking parchment and cut into pieces.
tip: If they aren’t eaten straightaway, these brownies will keep for four days if stored in an airtight container. You could also freeze them for use at a later date.