Chocolate, Orange, and Beet Brownies
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 10 1x
Description
Orange is a good friend of both beets and chocolate, and all of the flavors combine to make one hell of a good brownie.
Ingredients
- 3 small uncooked beets
- 9 oz (255 g) good-quality unsweetened chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids)
- 1 cup plus 2 tbsp (270 ml) unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
- 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) superfine sugar
- 3 free-range eggs
- Zest of 1 orange and juice of 1/2
- 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) self-rising flour
- Crème fraîche, to serve
Instructions
- Boil up your beets until tender to the point of a knife, about 30 minutes, then let cool enough to peel. In a food processor or blender, blend to a purée and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and line a large baking pan at least 3/4-inch deep.
- Break the chocolate into pieces and place in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Add the butter in cubes and let melt, stirring once or twice.
- In another bowl, beat the sugar with the eggs until smooth and creamy. Stir in the melted chocolate, orange zest and juice, and puréed beet, then sift in the flour and stir until combined.
- Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
- If you plan to reheat the brownies before serving, stick to 15 minutes, or even less if you like a gooey brownie! Serve with crème fraîche.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Baking
- Cuisine: British
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 brownie
- Calories: 420
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why do the beets need to be boiled and puréed rather than grated raw?
The recipe boils 3 small uncooked beets for about 30 minutes until tender, then blends them to a smooth purée in a food processor. Puréed beets incorporate seamlessly into the batter alongside the 9 oz of melted chocolate — raw grated beets would add noticeable texture and release water into the mix, affecting how the brownies bake.
How do I know when these brownies are done — can they be gooey?
The recipe bakes at 350°F for 15–20 minutes and explicitly says to stick to 15 minutes (or even less) if you plan to reheat them later or prefer a gooey brownie. The beet purée and high ratio of fat from 1 cup plus 2 tbsp of butter keep these very moist, so err on the short side.
What is self-rising flour and can I substitute all-purpose?
Self-rising flour already contains baking powder and salt mixed in — the recipe uses 1¼ cups of it. To substitute all-purpose flour, add 1½ tsp baking powder and ¼ tsp salt per cup of flour (so approximately 1? tsp baking powder and a scant ¼ tsp salt for this batch). 
