Jaffa Fudge Brownies

I had a rough day yesterday. Nothing significant, just a hard day on placement, but one that made me question my ability to succeed in this career. I came home wanting nothing but comfort. Unfortunately my husband is interstate for work and I was too tired to visit friends. So instead I called my mum and made brownies.

I’ve always loved the combination of orange and chocolate. For these brownies I was inspired by the crunchy bite sized Jaffa lollies. They were always a top choice for movies (and go really well with popcorn!) and I have fond memories of my sister and I using the bright red coating as lipstick when we were younger. I wanted to re-create some of the fun I associate with them.

These brownies are super dense and fudgy. Rich and chocolatey with a hit of orange and some lovely crunch from the edges and Jaffa pieces, they’re a total indulgence. Perfect for a bad day. Because they’re so rich I cut mine into bite sized pieces but feel free to leave them larger if you think you can handle it!

I recommend using good quality dark chocolate as you really do taste it in this recipe. I added Cointreau to my curd to boost the orange flavour but feel free to leave this out. The only thing I would change for next time is to chop the Jaffa’s instead of processing them. Although this would be time consuming I think having larger chunks in the batter would be fantastic. To make them easier to cut allow the brownies to cool in the fridge overnight.

 

Jaffa Brownies

4 oz dark (70% cocoa) chocolate
¾ cup butter
1¾ cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp salt
1 cup flour
¼ cup orange curd
½ cup Jaffa’s (or other choc-orange lollies)

Preheat oven to 180° and grease and line a 7×7 inch pan. In large bowl over simmering water melt chocolate and butter. Add sugar and eggs and stir through thoroughly. Add vanilla, flour and salt and stir until mixed through and smooth.

Separate the mixture into two bowls. Process the Jaffa’s in a food processor until you have small pieces. Mix the Jaffa’s through one bowl and pour into prepared pan. Bake for 5-10 minutes or until just set. Allow to cool in pan.

Spoon orange curd over brownie layer and smooth out leaving a ½cm gap around the edges. Carefully spoon the second brownie mix over the curd starting near the centre and working outwards. When completely covered bake for 10-15 minutes or until set. Allow to cool completely in the pan then refrigerate before cutting.

Orange Curd

¾ cup orange juice
1 tbsp orange zest, finely chopped or grated
2 eggs
3 egg yolks
½ cup caster sugar
6 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into cubes
30ml Cointreau (optional)

Combine the eggs and sugar in a medium saucepan and stir until mixed. Add the orange juice, zest and butter and heat slowly over a low heat, stirring constantly. Do not heat too quickly or the egg will curdle.

Continue to heat until curd is thick and smooth, and coats the back of a spoon. This could be anywhere between 10-20 minutes depending on how thick you’d like it. The curd will continue to thicken somewhat when cooling.

When ready pour through a fine sieve to catch any cooked egg strands. Cover and refrigerate until cold.