Gluten free peanut butter & raspberry brownies

Brownies are the GOAT when it comes to baked goods. They are decadent, a little bit slutty (lol) and are incredibly easy to make. 

We recently took our favourite brownies and made them gluten free and I don't think I'm ever going to look back. This recipe is one to save when you need to cater to your gluten intolerant pals, but don't want them to miss out on the sugar. 

Let's dive in!

Gluten free peanut butter and raspberry brownies
INGREDIENTS
170g unsalted butter
450g dark chocolate
1 tsp instant coffee (optional)
1 tsp vanilla extract
230g brown sugar
170g caster sugar 
1 tsp fine salt
5 eggs
100g almond meal
30g cocoa powder 
160(ish)g smooth peanut butter
3/4 cup frozen raspberries, thawed

Method - 
1. Begin by lining an 24cm square brownie tin with baking paper - ensure the baking paper comes up both sides and hangs over the edge. This will help get the brownie out of the tin once it's cooked. Pre-heat oven to 160 degrees.

2. Using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat your sugars, eggs and salt until pale, fluffy and is light in colour. 

3. In a microwave safe bowl, melt your chocolate, coffee, vanilla and butter. Once melted together, give that luscious silky mixture a quick whisk before folding (by hand) into your egg mixture.

4. Gently fold almond meal and cocoa powder into the batter.

5. Tip half of the batter into your lined brownie tin before adding globs of peanut butter and raspberries. I disperse the PB and raspberries at random, but try to ensure PB is always near a raspberry. Keep a few raspberries and a couple of globs of PB aside for the top.

6. Tip the remaining batter over the top of the brownie / PB mix and push down your remaining raspberries on top. Swirl in a little extra PB. Bake brownie for exactly 42 minutes. The brownie will feel undercooked and should jiggle slightly - it is imperative you allow the brownie to set in the tin. Move to the fridge to set completely before removing from tin to cut into squares.

Trixie Tips & Trix! 
NUT FREE: Switch out the almond meal for plain flour (it just won't be gluten free anymore) and remove your peanut butter.

BASE RECIPE: This recipe is a great base recipe - you can switch out the PB / raspberries for whatever you like! You could sub in walnuts, Biscoff, Nutella etc. Again, you can switch almond meal for plain flour for a nut free option. 

BE GENTLE: You have to be incredibly gentle with brownie mixture. Do not over-mix or beat. Treat the batter with incredible care. 

OVERBAKING: Overbaking is really common with brownies. It will feel like your brownie isn't cooked when you remove it from the oven, but the trick is to let the brownie set in the tin and allow it to completely cool in the fridge before you cut it. Aka this is not a quick bake! Patience my friends!!