Chocolate Strawberry Brownies

Irresistible and fudgy Chocolate Strawberry Brownies with a fresh strawberry compôte, fresh strawberry slices and a drizzle of chocolate are simply delicious.

Strawberry Compôte:
1 cup fresh strawberries, chopped (160 g)
1 Tbsp. water

Brownie Batter:
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (190 g)
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil (60 g)
2 large eggs, room temperature
¾ cup Monk Fruit Sweetener with Erythritol (Granular) (168 g)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
¼ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
¾ cup all-purpose flour, unbleached
½ tsp. sea salt

Topping:
5-10 fresh strawberries, sliced
⅓ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (64 g)
1-2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat an oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4). Prepare an 8x8" baking pan by cutting one long strip of parchment paper that lays in the bottom of the pan and hangs over two of the sides. I fold the excess paper over the two sides and trim with scissors. This paper allows you to lift the brownies up and out of the pan once they're cool.

Make the Strawberry Compôte:
Add the chopped strawberries and 1 Tbsp. of water to a small saucepan. Heat on medium-high until the fruit begins to bubble. If the mixture looks dry, add a little more water.

Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer. Use a fork to stir and mash the strawberries. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the fruit turns into a thick sauce (this should only take a few minutes). If your compôte doesn't thicken after 10 minutes, you can simply strain out the excess liquid.

Scrape the compôte into a small bowl and allow to cool while you make the brownie batter.

Make the Brownie Batter:
Bring your eggs to room temperature (if needed) by placing them in a glass of warm water for around 10 minutes.

For the Double-Boiler: Fill a pot with 2-3" of water and put it over medium heat. Bring the water to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Choose a heat-proof bowl that won't touch the water, add the chocolate chips and oil. Place the bowl on the pot and stir until the chocolate is totally melted; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or regular bowl + hand mixer) add the eggs and sugar. Use the whisk attachment to beat on medium-high until the mixture thickens - a few minutes will do the trick. Whisk/beat in the vanilla extract.

Remove the bowl from your stand mixer and add the melted chocolate. Use a "folding" motion to gently mix the chocolate into the fluffed up egg mixture.

Sift the cocoa powder and flour into the bowl (alternatively, you can add the cocoa powder and flour to a small bowl and whisk together before adding to the batter). Add the salt. Use a large spoon or spatula to gently mix the batter together until no flour pockets remain. Add the batter to your prepared baking pan. Smooth out the batter and tap/jiggle the pan to even it out.

Assemble and Bake the Brownies:
Use the back of a small spoon to make nine wells (3 rows x 3 columns) in the brownie batter. Add the strawberry compôte to each well. Use a chopstick or butter knife to gently swirl the compôte into the surrounding batter.

Gently press the sliced strawberries into the brownie batter/compôte - you can arrange the slices however you like.

Bake the brownies for 20-25 minutes for under-baked, fudgy brownies like the ones pictured. If you prefer your brownies more "done", bake for a little longer.

Allow the brownies to cool in the pan on a cooling rack. Once cool, pull brownies out of the pan and slice into 9 or 16 squares.

To drizzle with chocolate: add the ⅓ cup of chocolate chips and 1 tsp. olive oil to double-boiler and stir until the chocolate is totally melted. If the chocolate is too thick to drizzle, add a little more oil. Use a spoon, or piping bag fitted with a small round tip, to drizzle the melted chocolate over each brownie.

Store leftovers in a single layer in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Makes 9 or 16 Brownies.