Raspberry and White Chocolate Brownies

Grease 8 holes of a ½ cup capacity ‘brownie bites’ tin or other similar size cake tins and line the bases with baking paper.

Preheat the oven to 160°C.

Melt the chocolate, butter and vanilla in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Don’t let the base of the pan touch the water. Stir occasionally until melted and smooth. Cool for 10 minutes.

Combine the flour, baking powder, mixed spice and salt in a large bowl. Whisk the sugar into the luke-warm chocolate then whisk in the eggs and orange zest until thick and smooth.

Tip onto the dry ingredients and gently but thoroughly stir together, ensuring there are no pockets of flour in the batter. Divide between the tins then scatter over the frozen raspberries.

Bake for about 18 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached. Cool for a couple minutes then run a small palate knife around the inside edge of each brownie. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely. The brownies tend to stick if cooled in the tins.

To serve: Three options – serve simply as is, just with raspberries or go all out and dollop with a spoonful of mascarpone then top with raspberries and a dusting of icing sugar. Makes 8.

Cook's tip: Don’t stir the mascarpone or it will become too thin to spread over the brownies.