The Best Chocolate Orange Brownies EVER !!

I’ve been looking back at the recipes which I have published here over the past few months and noticed that they mostly involve chocolate, lemon or orange.  While this wasn’t intentional, I guess it shows that these are perhaps the flavours we tend to prefer here at our house!  I promise to vary my bakes a little more over the next while but for today, I’m going to stick with two of our favourites – chocolate and orange 🙂

There is nothing I like more than a rich dark chocolate brownie but when orange is added into the mix then I think it’s hard to beat, particularly, when its topped with a rich chocolate ganache… yum!!

I guarantee if you get a chance to make this recipe once then you will return to it again and again..

Makes: 15 large or 30 small brownies

Ingredients:
280g Butter, at Room Temperature
300g Caster Sugar
5 Eggs, Lightly Beaten
60g Cocoa Powder
170g Plain Flour
1 Teasp Baking Powder
85g Dark Chocolate (finely grated either by hand or in a food processor)
3 Tablspns Fresh Orange Juice
1 Teasp Vanilla Extract
1 Teasp Orange Essence (or Extract)
1 Large Orange (set zest and juice aside)

Chocolate Ganache Topping:
220g Dark Chocolate
250ml Double Cream
Pinch of Salt
¼ Teasp Orange Essence (Or Extract)
Orange Zest

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 180ºC, (350ºF), Gas Mark 4
2. Line a 9″ x 13″ Baking Tray with parchment paper making sure the paper overhangs the edges by approx 1 inch.  Grease with melted butter or baking spray
3. Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter with the sugar until pale
4. In a separate bowl, mix the cocoa with the flour, baking powder and the finely grated chocolate (using a whisk to make sure it is well combined)
5. Gradually add the eggs to the sugar and butter (if you find it starting to curdle then throw in a tablespoon or two of the flour mixture)
6. Add the orange juice, orange essence (or extract) and vanilla extract and mix in
7. Finally, on a low speed add in about half of the flour mixture and once this is combined then add in the remainder
8. Continue mixing until everything is well combined
9. Pour the batter into the greased tin, spread evenly and bake in your preheated oven for 20 – 24 minutes when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean (be careful not to over-bake or you will lose the lovely moist centre)
10. Allow the brownies to cool completely to room temperature while still in the tin.
11. To make the ganache – place the chocolate and cream in a saucepan over a low heat and sprinkle in the pinch of salt (I never use a bain marie although you do need to keep the heat low or the mixture will burn!) and mix with a wooden spoon until they form a sauce.  Add in the zest of the orange and mix again.  Allow to cool in the saucepan for 5 minutes.  Stir again and then pour the warm chocolate ganache over the brownies in the tin and tilt the tin back and forth to allow it spread evenly.
12. Put the tray in the fridge at this stage to allow the ganache to set
13. Once set, remove from the fridge and carefully remove the baking parchment.  Cut to the desired size.

Enjoy 🙂