Jam Swirl Brownies

Valentine’s Day has always been my favorite holiday for the meaningful and sweet ways we can celebrate. Below you’ll find a list of my favorites from volunteer efforts to sending beautiful language into the world. Maybe you’ll share a little love with the pollinators who keep our gardens plentiful by planning a spring garden full of their favorite perennials. Perhaps you’ll gift a packet of flower seeds to a friend. There are so many ways to enjoy the day, including chocolate indulgences such as these jam swirl brownies that can be made with berry jam or even cherry preserves.

If you’ve participated in my Sweet and Savory Sides of Chocolate classes or Cozy Valentine workshops over the past few years, you may have watched me make a batch of these rich, truffle-like brownies. Often I opt for raspberry preserves as the fruit swirl. The process itself is relaxing and all done by hand (no mixer required) – perfect for a quiet moment, though the process is straightforward enough to follow if you have a crowd in the kitchen.

One they’ve completely cooled, cut into squares or take out your heart shaped cookie cutters to serve up the ultimate in cuteness. These brownies are a decadent homemade treat that are my personal valentine to you. Before reading through the recipe, here is my list of ways to celebrate.

Ingredients

6 ounces dark chocolate (about 60% cacao)
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
½ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon kosher salt
⅓ cup fruit preserves or jam such as raspberry, strawberry, or cherry

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8-inch square light-colored metal pan with overlapping pieces of parchment for ease of lifting out of the pan once baked. If you find that parchment tends to slide around too much when you add batter generally, give the pan a light greasing first. The batter for these brownies is thick and will have to be worked into the corners, but I generally don’t grease the pan.

How to Prepare the Jam

Once you decide on a flavor, think about whether you would like to remove the tiny seeds (if any) from your chosen jam. If desired, seeds can be removed by pushing the jam through a mesh sieve using a spoon.  Gently heating the preserves can make the process easier. A flavor such as cherry preserves will not benefit from any straining.

Make sure to measure the preserves after straining to reach a full ⅓ cup.

How to Melt the Chocolate

Instead of using a microwave to melt the butter and chocolate, I prefer to combine them on the stove over low heat. Chop the chocolate into small pieces and cut the butter into a few pieces. Add to a saucepan, turn the heat on medium-low, and stir constantly and slowly until everything melts into a glossy pool. While I have never found the chocolate to scorch using this method, if you are concerned about this, you can also melt the mixture by setting up a double boiler (heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water).

How to Make the Brownie Batter

While the chocolate is still hot, pour into a heatproof bowl, then slowly add the sugar while whisking. This will help some of the sugar to melt right into the mixture. Continue until all the sugar has been added.

Next whisk the eggs in a separate bowl for 2 minutes.

Gently whisk the cocoa into the chocolate mixture then whisk in the beaten eggs and vanilla extract. The mixture will be thick like chocolate frosting.

Stir together the flour and salt then fold into the batter until no white streaks appear. The mixture will be thick.

Use a spatula to scrape the brownie mixture into the pan, working it gently into the corners. While the mixture is thick, it will even out when gently spread out with the spatula.

Dollop room temperature preserves on top of the batter, ensuring it is evenly distributed, then use a skewer or knife to swirl them into the batter for a marbled effect.

How to Bake and Cut the Brownies

Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes until the brownies are set but a toothpick does not come out completely dry. Checking to see whether these brownies are set is a bit trickier than with a traditional brownie recipe, as the swirls will affect both how they bake and how you can test them. I like to insert a toothpick into a section of non-swirled batter as well as an area under the jam. You can insert the toothpick at an angle to avoid wetting it with the jam to test the brownie batter beneath. Adjust the bake time as necessary.

Let cool for about 15 minutes before lifting out of the pan using the parchment. Let cool completely on a baking rack before cutting and serving.

If using cookie cutters, a light coating of cooking spray on the inside of the cutter can help the brownie to release. Push the brownie gently up from the bottom of the cookie butter so as not to disturb the top layer. Depending on how late in the day you make the brownies, it’s often easier to use cookie cutters on them the next day.

For another chocolate treat, try this ganache tart that’s a great alternative to a box of chocolates or this chile hot chocolate for a decadent drink. You might even want to start off Valentine’s Day (or snack throughout it) with chocolate granola.