Christmas is just around the corner, so we’ve given our trusty brownie recipe a seasonal festive twist and added dried cranberries and white chocolate chips. These fudgy, indulgent treats are perfect for serving with a cuppa when family and friends pop by. Alternatively, you could heat them through in the microwave and serve with cream or ice cream for a truly scrumptious dessert.

For an extra festive twist, you could add some chopped macadamia nuts to your mixture – these are often paired with white chocolate and cranberries, and give that added crunchy texture to the gooey brownies.

Ingredients (makes 12-16 brownies):
200g unsalted butter, cubed
160g dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids)
3 large eggs
280g granulated sugar
2tsp vanilla extract
130g plain flour
130g dried cranberries
100g white chocolate chips

Method:
1. Preheat your oven to 180°C (fan 160°C/gas mark 4).

2. Grease and line a 20cm x 20cm square baking tin with greaseproof paper.

3. Put the butter in a glass bowl and add the dark chocolate, breaking it up into small pieces. 

4. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and gently melt the butter and chocolate.

5. In a separate large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract with an electric whisk until they are thick and creamy.

6. Mix in the melted butter and chocolate using the whisk.

7. Gently fold in the flour.

8. Reserve 15g each of the cranberries and white chocolate chips to sprinkle on top, then mix the rest into the brownie batter.

9. Pour the mixture into the baking tin and make sure the top is level. Sprinkle the reserved cranberries and white chocolate chips over the brownie batter.

10. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the top starts to crack and the middle is just set. If you prefer a fudgier brownie, bake for 25 minutes. If you prefer a firmer brownie, cover with foil after half an hour and bake for a further five minutes.

11. Leave to cool in the tin for half an hour then cut into squares. These are very indulgent, so cut your brownies to size based on how much of a sweet tooth you have!