Gingerbread Spiced Dark Chocolate Brownies

This recipe for gingerbread dark chocolate brownies was originally published on my former blog (The Culinary Jumble) in December 2016. The recipe has been updated to include spelt flour, but the images remain unchanged.

So, only a couple more Christmas recipes to go before the big day hits, and this time, it’s another brownie recipe. But when I say another, please don’t think that this is some regular brownie. Nope, this is a festive brownie that will knock your socks (Christmas stockings?) off. 

I enjoy baking at Christmas, and this time around, I’ve used a lot of saffron. Before moving to Sweden, I never realised saffron was used in baked goods. If you’re interested in experimenting, check out my saffron biscotti, saffron & white chocolate buns, and delectably fragrant saffron cake. You can thank me later. 

However, out of all my seasonal recipes, I think this one has been my favourite. My love of brownies is fairly new, and it crept upon me once I realised that they didn’t need to be dry or hard, and when I perfected my go-to recipe.

Finding the perfect brownie has taken some practice. And although just how hard or fudgy a brownie should be is a hotbed of contention, I think they are most amazing when they have a softness that isn’t quite a goo (such a way with words I have), just like these gingerbread-spiced dark chocolate brownies. 

If you’d like to see how I make my brownie base (used in all my brownie recipes) check out how I made my Oreo Brownie:

You can’t go wrong with a brownie whichever way you throw it, but adding a little gingerbread spice? Well, then you have a cake in a whole new league of its own.

There’s the chocolate, the hit of gingerbread spice, the sweetness, the fudginess, and they literally melt in your mouth. Ahh. Merry Christmas, everyone.

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Gingerbread Spiced Dark Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients

Brownies:

• 200g dark chocolate
• 200g butter
• 45ml (3 tablespoons) hot coffee (see note 1)
• 50ml (3 tablespoons ) milk
• 120g brown sugar
• 130g white sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar (see note 2)
• 80g flour (see note 3)
• 30g (2 tablespoons) cocoa
• 1½ tablespoons gingerbread spice (see below and note 4)

Topping:

• 1 teaspoon gingerbread spice (see below and note 4)
• 40g icing sugar

Gingerbread spice:

• 2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon ginger
• 1 tablespoon cardamom
• 1 tablespoon ground cloves

Instructions

• Pre-heat the oven to 170°C and grease a fairly large square or rectangle spring-form baking pan (mine was 27cm x 17cm / 10in x 7in).
• Slowly heat the chocolate and butter in a pan until just melted. Add the coffee (or water) to the chocolate mixture. Let the mixture cool for about 10 minutes, then add the milk and stir to combine.
• In a large bowl, whisk the sugars with the eggs, then add in the cooled chocolate mixture.
• Sift the vanilla sugar, flour, cocoa and pepparkaka spices (mix the above quantities of spices together then use 1½ tablespoons ONLY. Put the rest in a bag for use another time) together and then stir into the wet ingredients, and mix until well combined.
• Pour into the prepared tin and bake for around 20-25 minutes, just until an inserted skewer comes out clean (if you would like a slightly softer brownie, bake them for two or three minutes less). Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely (leave the cake in the pan).
• Pop the brownie in the fridge for at least several hours, but overnight is better (it makes it so much easier to slice neatly, especially when it's fudgy like this one) before sprinkling with the icing sugar/pepparkaka mixture.
• Cut using a sharp knife warmed under hot water (then dried), adding maybe a touch of cream or ice-cream if you're feeling decadent. Enjoy!

Notes

1. Coffee enhances the flavor of all chocolate cakes. However, if you do not want to use it, replace the coffee with the same amount of water.
2. I sometimes use vanilla sugar in my recipes. If you don't have it to hand, replace with the same amount of vanilla extract.
3. This recipe has been made with spelt, regular and a gluten free blend flour. Use the same quantity, regardless of which flour you use.
4. Only use the required amount of gingerbread spices and NOT ALL of the mixture. Save the rest for another time!