Baking:: Strawberry Layered Brownies

Happy New Year. 2014 is finally here and I am looking forward to discovering what this year has to offer.
Well January is the time when everyone tries to get back on the health wagon after all the festivities, but I think we just have a little room to sneak this one in.
A combination of two of my favourite ingredients - strawberries and chocolate-  this is a dessert worth sharing.



Strawberry Sauce:

Ingredients

• 175g Fresh Strawberries
• 50ml Water
• 2tbsp Sugar
• 1tbsp Lemon Juice

Method

1. Blend strawberries with water, until smooth
2. Pour into a saucepan and add sugar and lemon juice
3. Heat on low heat for about 10 minutes until it begins to simmer
4. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Refrigerate to chill until ready to use
5. Pass through a sieve, and refrigerate until required for use

Drizzle generously over the brownies.

Brownies:

Ingredients

• 200g Milk Chocolate
• 150g Dark Chocolate
• 250g Unsalted Butter
• 3 Eggs
• 250g Brown Sugar
• 110g Plain Flour
• 1tsp Baking Powder
• 200g Fresh Strawberries (sliced) 
• 1tsp Vanilla Extract 
• Pinch of Salt

(Tip: You can decide to use 350g Milk Chocolate or Dark Chocolate instead of the combination I chose)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees C
2. Melt chocolate and butter in a saucepan over low heat. Stir occasionally. Remove from heat and allow to cool
3. Whisk eggs until light and fluffy 
4. Add in sugar and vanilla extract and continue whisking until shiny
5. Add in melted chocolate mixture
6. Fold in flour, baking powder and salt
7. Grease a baking tin with butter and pour in half the mixture
8. Layer the strawberry slices over the mixture and then pour the remaining mixture all over it
9. Place in the oven and bake for 40 minutes until surface is set (Insert a skewer/knife in the centre, It should come out with a little of the mixture sticking to it)
10. Remove from oven and allow to rest for about 15 minutes
11. Cut into squares and remove from the baking tin when completely cooled.