chocolate

Chocolate Cranberry Twist Star Bread

December 15, 2020 by Marisa 35 Comments

Learn how to make a spectacular Chocolate Cranberry Twist Star Bread that is sure to impress family and friends. This homemade sweet bread is loaded with walnuts, dried cranberries and dark chocolate pieces with some aromatic cinnamon flavour in every bite.

There is something so magical by taking a few simple ingredients, which you probably already have on hand and transforming them into an incredibly delicious sweet bread.

In texture this yeast based dough recipe is much like an Italian Panettone but not as dry on the inside. It’s fluffier and more brioche-like!

The filling is a chocolate, cranberry and walnut mixture that once rolled into the dough creates a pretty swirl into each slice.

Alternately you can also spread it with your favourite jam. I’m thinking raspberry jam and then sprinkled with some mini dark chocolate chips would work really well here.

Another wonderful option is Nutella, everyone’s favourite Italian chocolate hazelnut spread!

The Inspiration for this Holiday Star Bread

The inspiration for this gorgeous and delicious holiday bread comes from an old Canadian Living Magazine recipe that I’ve been making for well over 20 years.

I would usually make this sweet bread by slicing and braiding the filled dough into a wreath shape. It was then baked in a springform pan and would greatly resemble a fancy Panettone.

This year I decided to switch it up by tweaking the ingredients and shaping the dough to resemble a star bread. I have to say it did not disappoint at all!

It not only makes a beautiful presentation but…è semplicemente delizioso…it’s simply delicious!

Drizzled with icing or a simple dusting of powdered sugar, this sweet bread makes a spectacular centrepiece for the holidays!

Or just enjoy it on a crispy-cold day, curled up in front of the fireplace with a steaming cup of coffee or tea.

How to make a Chocolate Cranberry Twist Star Bread

Punch the dough down and turn it out onto a slightly floured work surface.
Divide the dough into four equal portions.
Work with one piece at a time while keeping the remaining pieces covered with cling wrap so it doesn’t dry out.

Roll out a piece of dough to an 8 to 10 inch circle. ( This will depend on the size of your largest baking sheet as you’ll need some growing space of 2 inches more)
Transfer the rolled out dough to a parchment lined baking sheet.
Spread a third of the filling over the dough, pressing it slightly into the surface of the dough.
Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon over the filling.
Repeat this with the second and third piece of dough.
Then roll out the fourth piece of dough and place it over the 3rd stack of dough. (this one will have NO filling on top)

Once your dough is all rolled out, filled and stacked you are ready to slice into wedges.
First, place a round cookie cutter or glass of about 2 and a quarter inch wide over the centre of the stacked dough.
With a sharp knife, cut the dough all the way through into four equal edges while leaving the cookie cutter or glass in place.

Cut each of the 4 wedges in half making sure to slice all the way through. You now have 8 wedges.
Then cut each of the 8 wedges in half all the way through. You now have 16 wedges all connected to the middle circle.
You’re now ready to twist the wedges.

How to Twist the Chocolate Cranberry Star Bread

This part is a lot easier than it may look.
Grab hold of two pieces of dough that are side by side.
Lift and twist the wedges away from each other, making two whole twists and pinch the edges to seal.
Repeat with the remaining wedges to form the star bread.
Cover with cling wrap and allow to rise for 30 minutes.

After the star bread dough has risen for 30 minutes, remove the cling wrap and gently brush the top and sides with a beaten egg.
Bake in the centre of a preheated oven (350*F), for 20 minutes.
When ready the star bread will have a deep golden brown colour.

This star bread with its filling of chocolate, cranberries and walnuts is a thing of beauty all on its own.

I love it as is with a light dusting of powdered sugar and usually serve it while still warm with the filling all ooey and gooey.

But if you prefer a little extra sweetness you can also serve it with a drizzle of icing.

Two Ingredient quick and easy Icing

For the icing, mix together 1/3 cup of sifted icing sugar with 2 teaspoons of milk.

Drizzle the icing over the top of the star bread.

The bread is at it’s best served the same day while it’s still warm, but can also be wrapped and stored for one day.

Any leftovers the next day, can be portioned out wrapped in paper towels and warmed in the microwave for about 10 to 15 seconds. It will come out tasting like it had just been freshly baked!

Happy Baking!

This recipe was originally posted November 7, 2015 and republished with updated photos and content December 15, 2020.

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5 from 1 vote

Chocolate Cranberry Twist Star Bread

This Chocolate Cranberry Star Bread recipe makes a show stopping centrepiece for the holidays. It's studded with walnuts, cranberries and dark chocolate pieces. All it needs before serving is a light dusting of powdered sugar.

Prep Time45 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Chocolate Cranberry Twist Star Bread

Servings:

Calories: 377kcal

Ingredients

For The Filling

1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup dark chocolate pieces
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
3 teaspoons cinnamon

For Brushing Over The Star Bread

1 beaten egg

For Dusting Over The Star Bread

1/3 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

Making The Star Bread Dough

In a large bowl, dissolve 1 teaspoon of the sugar in warm water.
Sprinkle in the yeast and let it stand for 10 minutes or until it turns frothy.
In the meantime, place the milk, remaining sugar, butter and salt in a small pot over a stove top.
Heat the mixture over medium heat and stir till the butter melts.
Set aside and let cool to lukewarm temperature.
Whisk the eggs into the yeast mixture.
Add in the milk mixture and whisk again.
With a wooden spoon, stir in the 3 ¾ cups of flour. (the dough will be slightly sticky)
Transfer the dough to a work surface lightly dusted with flour.
Knead the dough for approximately 10 minutes, while adding in enough of the 1/4 cup of flour as needed to achieve a smooth and elastic dough.
Transfer the dough to a large greased bowl and turn the dough to grease all over.
Cover the bowl with cling wrap and let the dough rise in a draft free area for about 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

Chocolate, Cranberry and Walnut Filling

Prepare the filling just before you're ready to roll out the dough.
In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, corn syrup, cranberries, chocolate pieces and walnuts.
Keep in mind that this mixture will be used to spread over 3 of the rolled out doughs. The top 4th dough will not have any filling.
Set aside while you quarter and roll out the dough.

Rolling And Shaping The Star Bread

First off, punch down the dough and divide the dough into 4 equal pieces.
Work with 1 piece at a time while keeping the remaining pieces covered with cling wrap.
On a lightly floured work surface and dusted rolling pin, roll out one piece of dough to an 8 to 10 inch circle. (This will depend on the size of your largest baking sheet as you'll need some growing space of about 2 inches more)
Transfer the rolled out dough to a parchment lined cookie sheet. (use a very large baking sheet)
Spread a third of the filling over the dough while pressing down lightly into the dough. (It gets messy and sticky but works out well. Simply wash your hands in between rolling the next round of dough.)
Sprinkle one teaspoon of cinnamon over the filling.
Roll out the second piece of dough and place directly over the first.
Top with some of the filling and sprinkle with another teaspoon of cinnamon.
Repeat with the third piece of dough. Roll out and place directly over the second round of dough,
Spread with the remaining filling and cinnamon.
Roll out the fourth piece of dough and place it over the third while pressing down gently. (this one will not have any filling over it)
Now we are ready to slice.
First, place a round cookie cutter or glass of about 2 ¼ inch wide over the centre of the stacked star bread.
With a sharp knife, cut the dough all the way through into four equal wedges while leaving the cookie cutter or glass in place.
Cute each wedge into 2 equal pieces while cutting all the way through. So now you have 8 pieces.
Cut each of the 8 pieces in half. And now you end up with 16 wedges all connected to the middle circle.
We are now ready to twist the wedges.
Grab hold of two wedges of dough that are side-by-side.
Twist the wedges away from each other making two whole twists and pinch the edges to seal.
Repeat with the remaining wedges to form the star bread.
Cover the star bread loosely with cling wrap and set aside in a draft free area for 30 minutes to rise slightly.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Brush the star bread with the beaten egg.
Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 20 minutes.
When ready, the star bread will have a deep golden brown colour.
Let rest for about 30 minutes on a cooling rack.
Then serve while still warm from the oven topped with a dusting of powdered sugar.

Nutrition

Mini Brownie Bites with Cream Cheese Frosting

October 29, 2020 by Marisa 46 Comments

These Mini Brownie Bites with Cream Cheese Frosting are a two bite marvel and an absolute delicious treat for Halloween. The swirl of orange tinted cream cheese frosting is dipped in a chocolate glaze and topped with sprinkles.

When it comes to Halloween baking, I’m not really much into the creepy, spooky or ghoulish treats. I’m more into something that has the cutesy factor.

These adorable mini brownie bites sure do and some! They’re rich, chocolaty and dense in texture without being overly sweet.

If you are fairly new to baking, you will find them delightfully easy to make. And if piping the frosting seems somewhat intimidating to you, simply give it a try by practicing first.

Set a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper on a counter. Fit any piping tip of your choice into a pastry bag and fill the bag with frosting.

Start piping directly onto your parchment lined cookie sheet. Then simply scrape off the frosting back into the pastry bag and you’re good to go. Easy right!

The brownie recipe comes from one of my favourite magazines, Better Homes and Garden.

I tweaked it somewhat, simply for personal taste, by using a luscious cream cheese frosting.

Then, I tinted the frosting with orange icing colour and switched it up to give it a Halloween flare. I just adore the chocolate and cream cheese combination!

You’ll need 3, 12 hole mini muffin pans to make this recipe. It’s a worthy investment as this recipe is one you’ll be making over and over again.

It’s super easy to make and totally fun! You can also adapt this recipe to suit any occasion of your choice!

How to make mini brownie bites

Place the flour and cocoa powder in a small mixing bowl.
Stir together and set aside while you beat the sugar with the eggs.

In a separate medium sized mixing bowl, add in the sugar and eggs.
Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until thick and pale yellow in colour, about 2 minutes.

Mix in the flour and cocoa mixture, just until smooth.
Add in 1/2 cup of melted butter and stir with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared mini muffin tins. I used a 1 and a half inch cookie scoop but you can just as easily use teaspoons to measure out the batter.
Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F, for about 10 to 12 minutes.
Test for doneness by inserting a wooden skewer in the middle. If it comes out clean, then the brownies are ready.

Place the brownies on a cooling rack.
Allow the brownies to cool in the tins for about 5 minutes before gently releasing them.
Once removed from the baking tins, transfer them back to the rack to cool completely before frosting.

How to make coloured cream cheese frosting

To make the frosting you’ll need:

cream cheese
butter
powdered sugar
vanilla extract
Orange icing colour

Combine the cream cheese, butter, icing sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl and beat until combined.

Alternately, you can also use a food processor to mix the frosting ingredients together.

Tint the icing with orange icing colour. Colouring for frostings are sold in a gel form. Don’t use the liquid colourings as those are for cake batters.

A little goes a long way so start with a little bit at a time or, until you get the desired colour. I used approximately 1/8 of a teaspoon.

Use a large pastry bag fitted with a star tip to pipe the frosting onto each brownie. (I used the 1M tip from Wilton, not sponsored).

You’ll need to refrigerate the frosted brownies for 30 minutes. This will set the frosting and makes it easier to dip into the chocolate glaze which also helps set the glaze.

How to make chocolate dipping glaze

For the chocolate glaze, place 1/4 cup of cubed butter, 2 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate in a small sauce pot over low heat and stir until melted and smooth.

Then simply remove it from the heat and stir in the corn syrup.

Set it aside and let it cool for about 10 minutes.

Once cooled dip the top of each brownie, about 3 quarters in, into the chocolate glaze.

Sprinkle the mini brownies with nonpareils and refrigerate till the chocolate is set, for about 15 minutes.

These mini brownie bites with cream cheese frosting store very well in an airtight container, refrigerated for up to 5 days.

They’re adorable, fun and oh so yummy!

Happy Baking!

Other Halloween treats you’ll love:

Ossi Di Morto Bones of the Dead

Chocolate Popcorn Halloween Cupcakes

This post was originally published Oct 29 2015 and republished Oct 29, 2020 with updated photos and content.

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5 from 1 vote

Mini Brownie Bites with Cream Cheese Frosting

These mini chocolate brownies topped with orange tinted cream cheese and dipped in melted chocolate are a delicious two bite marvel. They make a perfect Halloween treat topped with festive sprinkles.

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time12 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Mini Brownie Bites with Cream Cheese Frosting

Servings: Mini Brownies

Calories: 150kcal

Equipment

Mini muffin tins

Ingredients

CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened dutch processed cocoa powder
2 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter melted

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

125 grams cream cheese
1/2 cup cold butter
2½ cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon orange icing colour (optional) I used Wilton's gel colour

CHOCOLATE GLAZE

1/4 cup butter cubbed
2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
4 teaspoons corn syrup light coloured
Halloween sprinkles optional

Instructions

MINI BROWNIES

Preheat ove to 350 degrees F.
Grease mini muffin pans or line with mini paper cups.
Place the flour and cocoa powder in a small bowl, stir and set aside.
Beat the sugar and eggs together in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes or until thick and pale yellow in colour.
Beat in the flour mixture just until smooth.
Add in 1/2 cup of melted butter and stir until combined.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin tins.
Bake for about 10 to 12 minutes or when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Let the brownies cool in the pan for about 5 minutes then carefully remove the brownies from the baking pan and transfer on a wire rack to cool completely.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Combine all the frosting ingredients in a medium bowl and beat until well combined.
Tint the frosting with the orange icing colour. A little goes a long way so start with a little bit at a time and stir till you get the desired shade of orange. I barley used 1/8 of a teaspoon.
Use a large pastry bag fitted with a star tip to pipe the frosting onto each brownie. I use the 1M tip from Wilton.
Refrigerate the frosted brownies for 30 minutes. This will set the frosting making it much easier to dip in the chocolate.

ChOCOLATE GLAZE

Place 1/4 cup of cubed butter and 2 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate in a small sauce pot.
On low heat, stir until the butter is melted and the chocolate mixture is smooth.
Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the corn syrup.
Ste the glaze aside to cool for about 10 minutes.
Once cooled, dip the top of each brownie into the chocolate glaze.
Top with the Halloween sprinkles and refrigerate until the chocolate sets. For about 15 minutes before serving.

Notes

These mini brownie bites with cream cheese frosting store very well in an airtight container, refrigerated for up to 5 days.

Nutrition

Baci di Dama: Italian Hazelnut Cookies

June 18, 2020 by Marisa 29 Comments

Baci di Dama are melt-in-your-mouth Italian hazelnut cookies. This easy to make recipe is an eggless based dough made with finely ground hazelnuts and nestled together with a dollop of dark sinful and silky chocolate.

Baci di Dama literally translates to lady’s kisses and these light and delicate hazelnut morsels are one of Italy’s famous cookies. They were made popular by the pastry shops of Tortona in the province of Alessandria which is in the Piemonte region of Italy.

Small wonder at that as hazelnuts from Piemonte are said to be the very best and also legally protected as “Nocciola Piemonte I.G.P“.

Although the history of Baci di Dama is somewhat hazy, what people most agree upon is that they resemble sensual lips pursed together while longingly bestowing a kiss on a loved one. The chocolate being the glue that softly binds a lovers lips together.

Italians are quite the romantic, are they not? Rhetorical question here!

How to make Baci di Dama

This recipe for baci cookies is really easy to make and your food processor will pretty much do all the work for you.

You’ll first need to grind your hazelnuts to a very fine texture and doing so with a little bit of sugar will ensure it doesn’t turn into a nut butter.

The remaining sugar is combined with the flour, salt and softened butter in a separate bowl and this mixture is worked into coarse crumbs.

This flour and butter mixture is then added into the food processor with the finely ground hazelnuts. You’ll then pulse with the food processor till the dough comes together in a dense mass. And now your cookie dough is formed!

Once your dough is ready you’ll need to chill it for at least 2 hours. There is no use trying to roll the cookie dough while it’s at room temperature. It will not roll into a firm ball!

Before chilling your dough, divide it into 4 equal portions. Wrap each portion individually with cling wrap and refrigerate it for a couple of hours. Or, if planning ahead you can also chill it overnight.

How to Shape Baci Cookies

The colder the dough is, the easier it is to roll.

Work with one portion of the dough at a time while keeping the remaining dough chilled.

Either scoop out small pieces of dough with a teaspoon or slice sections with a pastry cutter and then into small cubes. I find the latter easier to do because it’s quite a stiff dough.

Then simply roll the pieces of dough to the size of a hazelnut in its’ shell.

Once all the balls of dough are formed, you’ll need to chill them once again for at least 2 hours. Or if pressed for time, you can freeze them for 30 minutes.

You can chill or freeze the little dough balls directly on your parchment lined baking tray. This extra chilling time will ensure they don’t spread out and flatten.

Once baked they’ll have these cute rounded tops with an over all light golden brown colour.

How to Assemble the Baci Cookies

When ready to assemble the cookies, first try to match them in sizes.

I pair them on a cookie sheet while leaving one of the two turned over.

You can either spoon a dollop of melted chocolate on the flat side of the cookie or use a piping bag to do the job much quicker.

Top with a second hazelnut cookie, same in size, and press slightly together to form a sandwich. Then simply allow the chocolate to set before serving.

To speed up hardening of the chocolate, you can chill the assembled cookies for about 20 minutes or so. This ensures the hazelnut sandwich cookies stay intact.

With a lovely crumbly texture these classic Italian cookies are wonderfully fragrant which are largely due to the roasted hazelnuts.

After biting into one of these delicate cookies, I found them to be very reminiscent of the Baci chocolates. Whereas, my hubby insists that they are far more similar in taste to the Ferrero Rocher.

You’ll most certainly have to bake them and decide for yourself!

TIPS ON MAKING PERFECT DOMED SHAPED BACI DI DAMA

Make sure to finely grind the hazelnuts with the 2 tablespoons of sugar so that it doesn’t turn into a nut butter.
Chill the dough in the coldest part of your fridge at least two hours. Or, plan ahead and chill overnight.
Roll the cookie balls into the size of a hazelnut in its shell then chill for an additional 2 hours. If you’re short on time freeze the rolled cookies for 1/2 hour directly on the baking trays.
Bake one cookie sheet at a time at a low temperature of 300 degrees F, while keeping the remaining cookies well chilled.
Do not over bake the cookies as this will change the texture of the cookie. Remember we want them to be melt-in-your-mouth delicious!
The cookies are very fragile once out of the oven so do not touch them. They will break easily and will turn into a crumbled heap if you try to lift them off the cookie tray while still hot.
Allow to cool on the cookie sheet placed over a cooling rack.
Make sure they are completely cooled before filling with the melted chocolate.
Use a piping bag filled with the melted chocolate to fill the sandwich cookies. This works much quicker and less messy as well.
Allow yourself plenty of time and never rush a good thing! They are so worth it!

If you love sandwich cookies as much as I do, you’ll also enjoy these Butterball Cookies. They’re nut free cookies filled with a seedless raspberry jam and rolled in an aromatic vanilla sugar concoction for a sparkly appeal.

Both the Italian Baci di Dama and Butterball cookies make a lovely addition to any cookie platter!

Happy baking!

This recipe was first published January 30, 2017 and republished June 18, 2020 with updated photos and content.

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3.5 from 4 votes

Baci di Dama, Italian Hazelnut Cookies

Baci di Dama or Lady's kisses are melt-in-your-mouth Italian hazelnut cookies nestled together with a dollop of dark silky chocolate.

Prep Time1 hr

Cook Time13 mins

Course: Cookie, Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Baci cookies, Baci di Dama, Italian Hazelnut cookies

Servings: cookies

Calories: 49kcal

Author: Marisa

Equipment

Food Processor

Ingredients

1 cup roasted hazelnuts
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
a pinch of salt I used fine sea salt
7 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Instructions

Place the hazelnuts with 2 tablespoons of the granulated sugar in a food processor. Process until the hazelnuts are finely ground. (leave in food processor).
Combine the remaining sugar, flour, a pinch of salt and the softened butter in a medium bowl.
Use your fingers or a pastry cutter to work this mixture just until the butter is evenly distributed and resembles clusters of streusel topping.
Add the flour and butter mixture to the hazelnut mixture in the food processor. Pulse till the dough comes together in a dense mass.
Divide the dough into 4 equal portions.
Wrap the dough in saran wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours. (I chilled my dough for 4 hours). The dough should be very cold and firm.
Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Unwrap the disk of dough and cut 1/2 inch strips.
Working with one strip at a time, cut the strip into 1/2 inch pieces of dough and roll each piece into smalls balls about the size of a hazelnut in its shell.
Place the balls on the parchment lined cookie sheet while spacing them about 2 inches apart.
Once you have filled one cookie sheet, place it in the fridge and repeat with the remaining cookie balls.
Chill the rolled cookies for about 1 hour or if pressed for time freeze for 1/2 hour.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
Bake one sheet at a time for about 13 minutes. They should look light golden brown in colour.
Place the cookie sheet onto a cooling rack and let cool completely. Repeat with the second cookie sheet.
Let the baked cookies cool completely before filling with the melted chocolate.
When ready to assemble the cookies place the dark chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and melt it on high for about one minute stopping to stir at 30 second intervals.
Use a small spoon or fill a piping container with the melted chocolate and put a dollop of chocolate on the flat side of a cookie.
Top (flat side down) with a second cookie while pressing down slightly to form a sandwich.
Repeat with the remaining cookies.
Store in a cool dry place.

Notes

This recipe for Baci di Dama was adapted from the cookbook, Dolci Italy's Sweets by Francine Segan with a few modifications.

I increased the amount of hazelnuts to a full 1 cup as this gave me an overall drier dough to work with and less flattened cookies as an end result.

I added a pinch of salt to sweeten the flavors. A little goes a long way in doing so!

Also, I baked the cookies at a lower temperature for an overall light golden brown cookie which yielded melt-in-your-mouth cookies.

Nutrition

Slow Cooker Chocolate Raspberry Brownies

February 12, 2020 by Marisa 36 Comments

These Slow Cooker Chocolate Raspberry Brownies are ridiculously easy to make. They’re ever so moist and fudgy, and with all the attributes of a great brownie! All you’ll need is 15 minutes of prep time to make these homemade treats and your slow cooker does the rest!

These chocolate raspberry brownies came to be purely by mishap and all because, a while back, my gas oven refused to ignite. But, that’s a whole other story.

And yet here I am, years later, with the exact same issue and around Valentine’s Day no less.

I had never before used my slow cooker in baking. I’ve always associated it with savoury meals and never would have thought it could produce such a delightful treat.

And so without question, I knew these Chocolate Raspberry Brownies were just begging to be made again!

After one blissful bite of these moist fudgy brownies with that burst of sweet raspberry goodness, I kind of wondered why it took me so long to make again!

But make no mistake, I’ll definitely be making them more often as I’d love to experiment with different flavoured chocolates. Although I must say, the raspberry flavoured variety is tops for me.

As you can see from these Chocolate Raspberry Cream Cheese Cookies. I simply adore the chocolate and raspberry combo!

So much so that I also use raspberry flavoured chocolate when I bake this pretty Triple Chocolate Brookie Tart.

For this recipe I used dark chocolate raspberry bars from Lindt Chocolates but feel free to use any brand you like!

I’m not sponsoring this brand here, but do use a good quality dark chocolate of your choice.

You can also use other favourite flavours of yours.

You will find that these brownies are not on very cake-like but rather more dense in texture and will satisfy any chocolate cravings you may have.

With crispy outer edges and soft fudgy middles, they are sure to please any palette.

As an added bonus, prep time is fairly quick and easy and the slow cooker slowly and surely wins the race here.

How to Make Chocolate Raspberry Brownies in a Slow Cooker

You’ll want to first start by preparing your slow cooker.

Grease the inside with butter or margarine and line the bottom with parchment paper while over extending along the sides of the slow cooker. This facilitates the removal of the brownies.

Mine extended about an inch and a half along the sides. You can smooth out any air pockets with your hands and press down on the parchment paper to fold pleats up along the sides. This way the parchment paper will cling to the side of the greased slow cooker.

Melt the butter and chocolate together. You can do this in a microwave or over a double boiler. Either will do just fine.

Set the chocolate mixture aside to cool while you chop the pecans or walnuts. Whichever you use is fine but you can also omit the nuts if you prefer.

Once cooled, whisk in the sugar and then the eggs, vanilla and salt.

Add the flour to the chocolate mixture and stir very well for 2 minutes.

Finely, stir in the chopped nuts if using.

Transfer the chocolate brownie batter to the prepared slow cooker and cook on low heat for 2 hours and 15 minutes approximately.

Slow cookers vary from one model to another therefore use the estimated cooking time as a guideline. I increased mine by 10 minutes.

You’ll know they’re ready when the edges are thoroughly cooked while the centres are somewhat softer.

Remove the inside container from the slow cooker and allow to cool for 1 hour.

The brownies are easier to remove from the slow cooker when they are sufficiently cooled.

I find it easier to tilt the slow cooker slightly on its side while holding on the parchment paper and sliding the brownies out in one fluid motion.

How to serve slow cooker brownies

These Chocolate Raspberry Brownies are rather lovely on their own but a scoop of ice-cream certainly makes them a little more indulgent!

You can also go sweet and simple with a drizzle of melted chocolate and a sprinkle of chopped pecans.

Or serve alongside some fresh raspberries for an even simpler plating.

Whichever way you serve them, they’ll definitely disappear in a flash!

Happy baking dear friends!

This recipe was originally published Feb 8, 2017 and republished Feb 12, 2020 with updated content and photos.

If you make this recipe remember to tag @marisasitaliankitchen on Instagram so I can see your creation!

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Slow Cooker Chocolate Raspberry Brownies

These Slow Cooker Chocolate Raspberry Brownies are ridiculously easy to make. They're ever so moist and fudgy, and with all the attributes of a great brownie! All you'll need is 15 minutes of prep time to make these homemade treats and your slow cooker does the rest!

Course: Dessert

Servings:

Calories: 272kcal

Author: Marisa

Equipment

Slow Cooker, standard size of a 5.4 Litre capacity.

Ingredients

150 grams dark raspberry chocolate or any dark chocolate of your choice
3/4 cup unsalted butter cubed
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup roasted chopped pecans

Garnish for Brownies

1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
1/3 cup melted chocolate pieces for drizzling over the top of the brownies.

Instructions

Use butter or margarine to butter the inside of your slow cooker.
Cut out a piece of parchment paper large enough to line the bottom while extending up the sides of the slow cooker.
Place the chocolate and butter in a microwave safe bowl.
Next, melt the butter and chocolate together on high while stirring at 30 second intervals.
Once melted allow the chocolate and butter mixture to cool.
When cooled whisk in the sugar.
Next, whisk in the eggs, vanilla and the salt.
Add the flour to the mixture and stir well for about 2 minutes.
Stir in the chopped walnuts and pour the mixture into the prepared slow cooker.
Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on low heat for about 2 hours and 15 minutes.
Not all slow cookers are made equally and the cooking times can vary. I added 10 extra minutes to the cooking time.
You will want to look for edges that are thoroughly cooked while the center is somewhat softer.
When the brownies are ready, remove the inside container from the slow cooker and allow to cool for about 1 hour with the lid on.
Once cooled run a rubber spatula around the brownies.
For easy removal, hold on to the excess parchment paper and pull up then out onto a cutting board. (This is easier if brownies are completely cooled)
Slice the brownies into squares or use a 2 or 3 inch heart shaped cookie cutter to form the hearts. (you can also do a combo of small and bigger hearts)
Drizzle the brownie pieces with melted chocolate and top with sprinkled pecans.

Notes

This recipe is adapted from Ricardo Magazine, Fall issue.

I've substituted the dark chocolate for a raspberry flavoured dark chocolate and used a tad more in quantity.

To serve, I drizzled the brownies with melted chocolate pieces and sprinkled the tops with finely chopped pecans.

They're simply amazing!

Nutrition

Chocolate Cherry Panettone

December 18, 2019 by Marisa 6 Comments

Dress up your holiday table with a homemade Chocolate Cherry Panettone, an Italian sweetbread that can be enjoyed in a myriad of ways.

I love strolling through the panettone laden aisle at the Italian grocery stores during the holidays. It’s a definite reminder that Christmas is well on its way!

Nowadays, there are so many varieties to choose from. A far cry from the more common panettone with the dry raisins or hard candied fruits. I’m definitely not a fan of those in any type of dessert let alone a panettone!

The store bough variety goes through a long process of curing and proofing the dough along several days and has a long shelf life.

But with a few simple steps you too can make a stunning sweet bread in half a day.

It’s fairly easy to make and this sweet bread is studded with soft, boozy drenched cherries and bits of chopped dark chocolate pieces. My favourite combo!

It’s also scented with both the zests of a lemon and orange and also the warmth of fragrant vanilla extract.

Let’s make panettone, shall we!

How to make a Chocolate Cherry Panettone

I like to start the night before by combining the dried cherries and Amaretto liquor in a small bowl. This allows the dried cherries to soak up the liquor for maximum flavour. But really, you can also do this at the start of the day you plan to make your panettone.

Then simply start by whisking together the water, eggs, egg yolks with both zests, the honey and vanilla.

Here is where a stand mixer with the hook attachment comes in handy because the dough will be extremely soft and wet.

You’ll need to first stir together the flour, sugar, the yeast and salt in the bowl of the stand mixer.

Then simply add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and knead until your dough starts to form.

At this point you’ll add the softened butter and continue to knead for a total of 5 to 7 minutes. It’s also best practice to stop the mixer a few times to get down to the flour that settles at the bottom of the bowl.

Simply scoop down with a rubber spatula and fold up to release the flour from the bottom of the bowl for even distribution.

Then continue kneading for the remaining time.

You should then have a very soft and sticky dough.

The First Rise

Grease a large bowl with some vegetable oil and gently invert the dough into the bowl.

Cover with cling wrap and let it rise, in a draft free area of your kitchen for about 1 1/2 hours. It will double and almost triple in size.

I’ve learnt a trick over the years for allowing any type of yeasted dough to rise. I set my bowl on my kitchen counter that’s directly over my dishwasher. And the heat from the running dishwasher warms up my counter which helps my dough to rise beautifully.

But you may have a trick up your sleeve as well! Then do that!

The Second Rise

After the initial first rise, I then top the dough with the boozy cherries and chocolate pieces.

To fully incorporate the cherries and chocolate, use a rubber spatula and gently fold them in till evenly distributed.

Invert the sweet bread dough into the prepared cake pan or panettone mold if using.

Let it rise for another hour and 15 minutes or so uncovered.

When ready to bake, brush the top with some beaten egg whites and sprinkle with sugar granules.

Bake the panettone for 40 minutes, until deep golden brown.

Test for doneness by inserting a skewer in the centre. If it comes out clean then you’re good to go. If not then simply bake it a few minutes more.

How to Hang Panettone Upside Down

Traditionally, a panettone is cooled off upside down so that it doesn’t collapse and loose its airy puffiness.

This can easily be done by inserting 12 inch wooden skewers at the bottom of the panettone. Four parallel skewers are sufficient for a panettone of this size.

Choose a pot or other large kitchen bowls that’s slightly larger in diameter then your panettone. Make sure it’s taller as well so it doesn’t touch the bottom of the pot.

How Long does Panettone stay fresh?

As with any sweet breads, homemade panettone is at its freshest the first few days it’s baked.

However, it will keep for about a week stored in an air tight container at room temperature.

What to do with leftover Chocolate Cherry Panettone

Traditionally Italians love panettone for breakfast alongside a sweetened hot beverage. But any leftover panettone can be turned into all new recipe that would be perfect for a weekend breakfast, brunch or anytime dessert.

You can turn it into a stunning Panettone Trifle
A sweet bread pudding
Or even an indulgent French toast

Whichever way you plan to have it, enjoy and happy baking!

Another chocolate cherry dessert you’ll love:

Cherry Amaretto Chocolate Salami

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Chocolate Cherry Panettone

An easy homemade Italian Christmas Panettone with dark chocolate and amaretto soaked cherries. Any leftovers are great for making french toast, bread pudding or even a trifle dessert.

Prep Time40 mins

Cook Time16 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Chocolate Cherry Panettone

Servings:

Calories: 379kcal

Equipment

Stand Mixer with hook attachment
8 inch round cake pan with 3 1/2 inch in height or a panettone mold

Ingredients

1 cup dried cherries
2 tablespoons Amaretto liquor
1 cup lukewarm water
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks reserve the whites
lemon zest from 1 large lemon
orange zest from 1 large orange
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 8g envelope quick rise instant yeast
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup butter softened
3/4 cup chopped chocolate pieces I used 70% dark chocolate
1/4 cup sugar granules for topping the panettone

Instructions

Place the dried cherries and Amaretto liquor in a small bowl and set aside.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the water, eggs, egg yolks, both the lemon and orange zests, honey and the vanilla extract then set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer stir together the flour, sugar, yeast and salt.
Fit the hook attachment to your mixer.
Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and knead until you see the dough forming.
Add the softened butter to the dough and continue kneading for about 7 minutes while stopping to scrap the flour from the bottom of the bowl.
You'll note that the batter will be very soft and sticky.
Lightly grease a large bowl.
With a rubber spatula scrape down the dough into the greased bowl.
Cover the bowl with cling wrap and set in a warm draft free area to rise for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Meanwhile prepare your cake pan if using.
Grease the bottom and sides of your cake pan.
Use parchment paper to make a collar and place along the insides of the pan and firmly press the paper against the sides of the pan. Also grease the joining ends of the parchment paper. My pan was 3 1/2 inches high and so I trimmed the top to surpass the rim by one extra inch.
If you're using a panettone paper mold there is no prepping.
After the dough has risen for 1 hour and 1/2 fold in the boozy cherries and chopped chocolate with a rubber spatula.
Gently scrape the dough into your prepared cake pan and let it rise again uncovered for an additional 1 hour and 15 minutes.
When ready to bake preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
Lightly beat some of the reserved egg whites and gently brush the top of the panettone with the beaten egg whites.
Sprinkle the top with sugar granules.
Bake in a preheated oven for 40 minutes.
When ready the panettone will have a deep golden brown colour and when poked with a wooden skewer it should come out clean.
Carefully release from the cake pan and insert 12 inch wooden skewers into the bottom of the panettone and then invert it upside down into a large stock pot allowing the skewers to rest over the rim of the stock pot.
This helps the panettone from collapsing while cooling off and also aids in retaining those pretty air pockets throughout the sweet bread.
Allow it to cool completely upside down if not serving right away. Then store in an airtight container.
We love it while still slightly warm, soft and fluffy.

How to Store Homemade Panettone

The Panettone is at its best the first few days it's baked but will keep for about 1 week covered in an airtight container at room temperature.
Any day old portions can be reheated in the microwave for about 20 seconds or so. This will revert the slices to a softer and fluffier appearance as it would be on its first day of baking.
You can also re-invent any leftovers into french toast, a bread pudding or even a holiday trifle.

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The First Rise

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