Cadbury Egg Brownies
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Me: Oh, these are even better than I thought they would be! And they do taste like Cadbury Eggs!
Joseph: Mmmmm. They’re brownies with a fancy top.
I’m kind of embarrassed to admit it, but I really love Cadbury eggs. I know, it’s not much more than a chocolate shell holding in a lot of gooey sugar meant to look like a runny egg and I know it grosses a lot of people out. It’s understandable, really. Maybe some people like eating raw eggs, but it’s certainly not something most of us want to do.
Once I became an “adult” (I’m 30 years old and still not entirely sure I qualify), I allowed myself one Cadbury egg every spring. A few years ago though, I bit in and was instantly repulsed by the cloying sweetness of it. That was it. I was as “adult” as I was ever going to be if I finally thought a Cadbury egg was totally disgusting. Finally! But I clearly regressed because I tried one again a few weeks ago and I must have reverted back to childhood or something because I enjoyed it so much. Yes, of course it was sweet. Very, very sweet. But it was also creamy and chocolaty and tasted like the Easters of my childhood.
Shortly after my rekindled love affair with Cadbury eggs, I saw these cream egg brownies on Love & Olive Oil and what ensued was a two week long internal battle over whether or not I was going to make them. It seemed a little gimmicky. But fun. But would they be any good? I just didn’t know. Clearly I caved, because here they are. And in case you’re wondering if they’re worth it, the answer is a resounding YES.
If you’re an adult Cadbury egg lover, you will love them because they’re a more elegant and mature alternative to the foil wrapped sugar bombs. If you’re a kid Cadbury egg lover, you will love them because they are chocolaty and sweet. If you’re a Cadbury egg hater, well, I think you may actually still like these. Joseph’s not a fan of Cadbury eggs, but he really liked these brownies. They’re still sweet, but they’re not nearly as sweet as the real thing. There’s also a much higher ratio of chocolate to sweet cream filling, and perhaps most importantly, you will not have a sudden panic attack as you suddenly think to yourself, OMG, is that a raw egg yolk I’m eating?
Cadbury Egg Brownies
Adapted from Love & Olive Oil
The original recipe uses milk chocolate, but I opted for bittersweet to cut down on the sweetness just a tad and to add a deeper, more sophisticated layer of chocolate to counteract the cream filling. You can feel free to use whatever kind of chocolate you prefer.
I was also a little low on corn syrup and used substituted about a teaspoon or a little more with maple syrup. I don't know that the maple flavor is perceptible, but I like to think that it adds just a little to the overall flavor. I wouldn't advice substituting all of the corn syrup with maple syrup because it will result in a browner color. Of course you could forgo the whole egg concept and just do it with maple syrup and skip the yellow dye. If you do, let me know how it goes!
Ingredients
For the Brownies:
- 2/3 cup (85 grams) flour
- 2 tablespoons dark or dutch processed cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 1/2 cup (1 stick or 113 grams) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light (110 grams) brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Cream Filling:
- 1/4 cup (85 grams) light corn syrup
- 2 tablespoons (30 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups (192 grams) powdered sugar
- drop of yellow food coloring (optional)
For the Glaze:
- 3 ounces (75 grams) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 2 tablespoons (30 grams) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
Directions
Make the Brownies:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF (175ºC). Line the bottom and sides of an 8-by-8-inch pan with 2 pieces of intersecting parchment paper, leaving a slight overhang on all sides (they will be forming a cross in the middle so all sides of the pan are covered).
- Sift together the flour, cocoa, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
- Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler or a medium-large bowl set over gently simmering water. Stir until smooth, then remove from heat. Whisk in sugars and stir until dissolved and mixture has cooled slightly.
- Whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract until just combined (don't overmix!). Sprinkle the flour mixture over the top and fold in to chocolate mixture using a large rubber spatula until just incorporated. Pour into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Transfer pan to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
Make the Cream Filling:
- Beat together the corn syrup, butter, vanilla, and salt on medium-high speed until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, a little bit at a time, mixing until creamy. Pour 3/4 of the cream mixture on top of cooled brownies and spread into an even layer. Add a drop or two of yellow food coloring to remaining cream mixture and stir until it is evenly colored. Drop dollops of yellow cream on top of white layer, and then swirl gently with a spatula. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until set.
Make the Glaze:
- Gently melt chocolate and butter together in a double boiler or a small saucepan set over low heat. Stir until smooth. Pour over cream filling, carefully spreading into a thin, even layer. Return to refrigerator and chill until set, at least 30 minutes, or overnight if possible (brownies are best when chilled overnight).
- Remove brownies from pan using the edges of the parchment paper to lift the entire block out of the pan. Using a large sharp knife, cut into 2-inch squares. Brownies will keep, refrigerated in an airtight container, for up to 5 days.