Raspberry and Amaretto Chocolate Brownies

Just to let you know, this post was written before I started the paleo diet to help ease my psoriasis. Nowadays I eat a more allergy-friendly diet, but leave these older, non-paleo posts up in case they are useful to readers, as I know not everyone eats the same as I do. Thanks for your understanding. 

Ever since I ate the Raspberry and Amaretto chocolate brownie from the Jamie's Italian stall at Eat Reading Live, I couldn't get it out of my mind. Intensely dark chocolate, sweet raspberries and the almond kick of Amaretto all dusted thickly with icing sugar. I knew I wanted to make a version at home, but make it healthier - lower in saturated fat, but with all the flavour of the original.

So here's my version: the brownies are made with mayonnaise, which is used instead of butter so although it does sound weird, you get a full-flavoured but lighter brownie. The recipe is adapted from one by Hellmann's but I tweaked the sugar, cocoa and chocolate quantities so the brownies didn't come out too sweet with all that liqueur and fruit in there.

I used frozen raspberries, because I always have some handy in the freezer, but use fresh if you have them. And if you don't have any Amaretto handy, either use a teaspoon of almond extract or just leave the liqueur out. These disappeared too quickly, but I did have in mind for them a fancy affogato-type dessert with a slab of the brownie, a scoop of vanilla or chocolate ice cream and then a drizzle of Amaretto poured over the top. But never mind. I'll just have to make them again, won't I?

Lower-Fat Raspberry and Amaretto Chocolate Brownies
Cuts into about 30-36 squares (depending on how chunky you cut them)
Ingredients:

• 40g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 35g cocoa powder
• 80g dark chocolate (I used Green and Black's)
• 3 eggs
• 170g caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 110g Hellmann's mayonnaise
• 30ml Amaretto
• 150g frozen raspberries

Method:

1. Line a 25cm square baking tin with greaseproof paper. In a bowl, mix together the flour, the baking powder and the cocoa. Make sure there aren't any lumps.
2. Melt the chocolate - either gently, in the microwave, or in a bowl over a pan of simmering water.
3. Whisk the eggs with the sugar, Amaretto and vanilla until it starts to thicken - now stir in the melted chocolate.
4. Fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Tip in the raspberries and fold in the mayonnaise until it's all combined and silky.
5. Scrape into the baking tin and bake at 160°C for about 35 minutes until the brownies are fudgy but cooked through, with that crisp topping.
6. Cool, cut into squares and dust liberally with icing sugar.

What do you think of these?  What are your favourite brownie recipes?