Chocolate Orange Brownies

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Chocolatey, fudgy, gooey, orangey, intense brownies with a touch of salt. Soft on the inside and slightly crispy on the outside. I started making these many years ago at Christmas when Terry’s Chocolate Oranges are easily available. But why have these treats just at Christmas when you can have them all year round?

When Chocolate Oranges first became available many moons ago, you could only buy them at Christmas – which is possibly why we all associate these delectable treats with the festive season. The good news is that they are available for most of the year now – at least the milk chocolate ones are. Even better, they are often on sale for just £1 each – so keep your eyes open and stock up! At Christmas they often bring out the dark chocolate and white chocolate versions – if you prefer you can use these for the add-ins and toppings instead – totally up to you.

These brownies are simply wonderful served just as they are with morning coffee or as an afternoon treat with a cup of tea. Also, they make a fabulous dessert; try them warmed with ice cream. Just divine.

I made this particular batch in the photographs before visiting my younger daughter Emma at university. She had given me a list of homemade treats she would like me to bring and these were very high on that list. She shares a student flat with 7 others so I don’t think she ate as many as she would have liked – they disappeared almost instantly!

They are based on my Daffodil Brownies – Core Recipe. The method and cooking instructions are all the same but I have made the following simple changes:

• use half caster and half soft brown sugar – this helps the orange flavour to come through
• added chunks of chocolate orange into the cake batter
• added the grated rind of 1 large orange
• added some orange extract
• topped with chocolate orange segments

How to make Chocolate Orange Brownies

This recipe is adapted from my Daffodil Brownies – Core Recipe. For further brownie ideas and inspiration, see here.

Collect all your ingredients together and line the baking tin:

1. In order to guarantee soft and fudgy brownies, it is important to use the correct size tin – in this case it is a 20cm/8inch square tin. If your tin is larger the depth of your cake batter will be less and the cake will cook more quickly. Equally if the tin is smaller, your cake batter will be deeper and cook more slowly.
2. Sit the tin on greaseproof paper making sure the paper is large enough to line the tin, come up the sides and have a little overhang.
3. Cut out the corners of the paper so it will fit easily into the tin
4. Fold the paper from corner to corner so the size of the centre of the paper matches the base of the tin. Slot inside the tin.

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Chocolate Orange Brownie Ingredients:

• unsalted butter, in cubes
• dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids, broken into pieces
• soft brown sugar
• caster sugar
• large eggs
• fine salt
• plain/all-purpose flour, sieved
• cocoa, sieved
• orange extract
• grated orange zest
• Terry’s Chocolate Orange

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Make those brownies:

1. Chop the butter into squares and place in a microwave safe bowl with the chopped chocolate. Melt in a microwave or a bain marie or and mix until smooth. (See Recipe Notes for details.)
2. Meanwhile put the sugars, eggs and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk with an electric whisk until thick and creamy. This will take around 3 minutes.
3. Pour the chocolate and butter into the eggs and sugar, whilst whisking, and mix thoroughly with the electric whisk until smooth and glossy.
4. Put a sieve over the bowl and add the flour and cocoa.
5. Sift directly over the cake batter.
6. Add the orange rind and orange extract.
7. Fold until nearly mixed in and add the chopped Terry’s chocolate orange.
8. Fold in but be careful not to over-mix at this stage.
9. Transfer to your baking tin and level the surface, making sure the cake batter goes all the way into the corners.
10. Cook in the oven for 20 – 25 minutes, depending on how squidgy you like the centre to be. It will carry on cooking when you take it out of the oven so bear this in mind. (I cook mine for 23 minutes in London and 24 minutes in Switzerland.)

This gives me a slightly crispy top but a gorgeous gooey centre. The cake will be slightly risen and cracked around the edges (see the pictures below) but the centre will feel quite soft. Remember the cake will continue to cook after you have taken it out of the oven. 

Ovens do vary so make a note of how long it takes to cook to your favourite consistency in your oven. Remember the less you cook it, the more gooey it will be and the more you cook it, the more cake like it will be.

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As soon as the brownies come out of the oven, layer 12 Terry’s Chocolate Orange segments evenly over the surface of the very hot cake. They will melt, adhere to the surface but keep their shape when they cool down.

Leave to cool in the tin for around 30 minutes and then transfer, in the baking parchment, to a cooling rack.

When the brownies are cold, lay on a chopping board and cut into 12 squares using the chocolate orange segments as a guide.

If I have time and/or if I want my brownies to look really smart, I put my brownies in the fridge to harden before I cut them. You will get much better lines and edges – definitely do this if trying to impress or gifting/selling them! However, they are best eaten at room temperature and can be stored at room temperature, in a sealed container, for up to 5 days. I doubt however they will last that long!

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Made this recipe?

If you make this recipe, do please tag me on instagram @daffodil_kitchen. You could also leave a comment in the box directly below the recipe.