Recipe: Ultimate festive spiced chocolate orange brownies

It’s impossible not to love the chocolatey smoothness of a good brownie. As it’s fast approaching Christmas time, this recipe offers a festive twist on this family favourite.

The joy of brownies, apart from being utterly divine to devour, is they are dead easy to make. This recipe builds on that simplicity but adds a subtle kick of spice and orange flavour for that warm, fuzzy Christmassy feel.

Once baked, chilled and cut, these little squares of delight make the perfect accompaniment to a cuppa for when friends and family visit over the festive season.

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Spiced chocolate orange brownies

Ingredients

Makes 18 small brownies

  • 200g digestive biscuits 
  • 100g butter, melted (for the biscuit base)
  • 50g chopped mixed nuts 
  • 200g dark chocolate 
  • 150g butter 
  • 2 eggs 
  • 1 egg yolk 
  • Zest of 2 oranges
  • 50g caster sugar 
  • 200g soft ready to eat figs, finely chopped
  • 100g white chocolate to decorate 

You will also need

  • An 8in square cake tin
Spiced chocolate orange brownies © Seasoned Cookery School

© Seasoned Cookery School

1. Preheat the oven to 170C fan/190C/gas 3.

2. To make the base, crush the biscuits finely and add the chopped nuts and melted butter. Stir to combine and then press firmly into a tin. Chill in the fridge to set. 

3. Put the chocolate and butter into a bowl and melt slowly – either in a microwave or a small pan, or on a bain marie. 

4. Using an electric whisk, beat the caster sugar, eggs and the egg yolk until pale and then fold in the melted chocolate mix. 

5. Add the zest of the oranges and the chopped figs and stir gently to combine. Spread onto the brownie base and bake in a pre-heated oven at 180C.  

6. Bake for approximately 20 minutes – the brownie should still be gooey in the middle and have a “wobble”, without being totally set. 

7. Remove from the oven, allow to cool completely and chill in the fridge before decorating with melted chocolate and dividing neatly into squares. 

Seasoned Cookery School

Seasoned is owned by dairy farmer’s wife Clare Major and is in the grounds of the beautiful Catton Hall Estate in Derbyshire.

It operates more than 100 different cookery and baking courses taught by some of the country’s best chefs, some of whom are BBC Masterchef and Great British Bake Off finalists.

To find out more, visit Seasoned Cookery School’s website.

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