Beetroot and chilli chocolate brownies recipe

Carolyn Hart 09 May 2019 10:32pm BST Spice up your brownies with this simple take on a classic recipe: beetroot and cayenne pepper add different dimensions of flavour to everyone's

favourite dessert. PREP TIME: 15 minutes | COOKING TIME: 40 minutes MAKES 16 brownies INGREDIENTS * 250g ready-cooked beetroot  * 250g dark chocolate (70 per cent cocoa solids)  * 100g

butter, plus a little extra for greasing the tin  * 3 eggs  * 250g light brown sugar  * 150g ground almonds  * 2 tbsp cocoa powder  * 1 tsp baking powder  * 1 tsp vanilla extract  * 1 tsp

cayenne pepper powder (optional and according to taste)  * Icing sugar, to dust METHOD * Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Prepare a 23cm square baking tin by greasing all over with a

little butter. * Line with a wide strip of baking paper, leaving two ‘tails’ at either side to help you lift the cooked brownie out of the tin. * Break the chocolate into squares and put in

a heatproof bowl along with the butter. Set over a pan of barely simmering water and allow to melt, stirring to mix as it does so. * Tip the beetroot into a food processor and process to a

purée, pausing the motor to scrape down the sides if necessary. * Add the melted chocolate and butter and the eggs and whizz again until combined. Again, scrape the sides down, then add the

sugar, ground almonds, cocoa, baking powder and cayenne pepper (if using) and process to make a smooth batter. * Pour into the prepared baking tin and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the top

is set and the brownie is starting to pull a little away from the sides of the tin. A skewer inserted into the centre will come out fairly clean but still a touch sticky – don’t worry if it

still seems a little soft as it will firm up on cooling, and these brownies are designed to be quite squidgy and moist. Remove from the oven, place on a cooling rack and allow to go cold in

the tin. * Using the baking-paper tails, ease the brownie from the tin and cut into 16 squares. Dust the surface with a little icing sugar.