Licorice Fudge Brownies
Licorice Fudge brownies with a fudgy and soft interior and a shiny, crackle top.
This delious fudge brownie is best served cold and straight from the fridge; it is delious plain, but if you love licorice, try it with Salted Licorice & White chocolate Ganache on top and fresh berries. It is just magical in taste.
Not a fan of licorice? Just omit the licorice powder and add one or two teaspoons of instant espresso powder instead and a teaspoon of vanilla bean paste. So Yum.
Before you start
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Bakers Note
→For the fudge brownie, chocolate is the star in this recipe. Use good quality chocolate and cocoa powder when baking this fudge brownie; I use Valrhona 66% and Valrhona cocoa powder.
→ For both the fudge brownies and ganache, I use raw licorice powder from the Danish brand →Johan Bulow. If you use another brand, you might want to adjust the amount of raw licorice powder to your taste! But always go for the good-quality stuff; it really does make a difference. I prefer using a raw licorice powder that does not have a lot of Anais in it.
→For the licorice ganache, make sure to use white chocolate containing cocoa butter, such as Valhrona or Greens & blacks with vanilla seeds. The type of white chocolate is important in this recipe. Callebaut velvet 32% with 40% fat; or Valrhona Ivoire 35% is also a great brand. Do not use candy melts in this recipe. Candy melts are not chocolate but more of a chocolate-flavored substance. It is generally poor quality and will not make a delicious frosting.
→Cream; there are many different types of cream; look for a cream that has the highest fat content → 36% to 40%, so it whips up very well.
Licorice Fudge Brownies
- 185 gram dark Chocolate 66% to 70%
- 95 grams salted or unsalted butter, diced
- 275 gram white sugar
- 150 grams eggs ( 3 large eggs), at room temp
- 1 or 2 tablespoon salt licorice powder *note
- 45 grams of all-purpose flour, sifted
- 15 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
- a pinch of sea salt, omit if using salted butter
Salted Licorice & White chocolate Ganache
- 500 gram of heavy cream 35% – 40 %
- 1 tablespoon salt licorice powder *note
- 300 gram good quality white chocolate 32%
- 125 grams fresh raspberries to serve on top
The licorice fudge brownies is such a perfect match with the Salted Licorice & White Chocolate and some raspberries on top. To better synchronize the downtime in both recipes, start making the Licorice ganache first, as the ganache needs to rest for at least 6 hours in the fridge, so plan accordingly.
Licorice Fudge Brownies
- Preheat the oven to 175C°/350F° and place a rack in the center of the oven.
- Grease and line a 15 cm (6- inches) or 20-cm ( 8-inches) round springform and line it with parchment paper. I prefer using 15 cm (6- inches) to get a thicker brownie.
- Place 185 grams of dark unsweetened chocolate and 95 grams of salted or unsalted butter in a heatproof glass or metal bowl. Melt the butter and chocolate in a heatproof glass or metal bowl over simmering water and stay close. ( Remove the bowl when the chocolate is just melted or even only almost melted.
- Meanwhile, place 275 grams white sugar, three large eggs and one or two tablespoons raw licorice powder in a large bowl and whisk together quickly until just combined; next, stir in the warm chocolate-butter mixture. Whisk together as little as possible.
- Fold in the 45 grams of all-purpose flour, 15 grams of unsweetened cocoa powder, and a pinch of sea salt ( omit if using salted butter) carefully combined with a spatula or a whisk, and don't overwork the brownie batter. Rap the bowl against the counter a couple of times to remove any air bubbles.
- Pour the brownie batter into the prepared springform.
- Bake for 25 minutes, don't overbake. It is better to remove the brownie from the oven a minute too early than a minute too late.
- Remove the brownies from the oven, and cool down completely.
- Refrigerate for at least 5 hours, preferably overnight.
- Cut into the desired size, and enjoy.
- These brownies can be stored tightly wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
- Or you can freeze them, covered, in double plastic wrap for one month. When ready to enjoy, take the brownies out of the freezer and place them in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours. Unwrap and enjoy!
- This Licorice Fudge brownie is a perfect match with Salt licorice & White Chocolate Ganache and is served with fresh raspberries on the side.
- When you have whipped up the Salted Licorice & White Chocolate Ganache, spread it on top of the cold fudge brownies after it has been in the fridge overnight.
- The licorice fudge brownie is best served straight from the fridge; it is so fudgy and soft and incredibly delious.
Salted Licorice & White chocolate Ganache
- Baker's note: To get that dreamy, airy texture in your ganache, use a high-quality white chocolate, such as one with 28 to 32% cocoa butter content. Something like Callebaut Velvet 32% is a solid pick for melt-in-your-mouth perfection.
- Coarsely chop the 300-gram white chocolate; a serrated knife is best for the job. Be sure that your white chocolate contains cocoa butter; otherwise, it isn't really related to chocolate at all and won't whip up. The key to that irresistible creaminess lies in the cocoa butter content of the white chocolate. Aim for a high-quality white chocolate such as Callebaut 28 to 32% for a ganache that's smooth, rich, and full of flavor.
- Place the chopped white chocolate into a heat-proof glass such as a high-measuring mug and set aside for now.
- Add 1 or two tablespoons salt licorice powder and 500-gram heavy cream into a medium saucepan, give it a quick whisk and warm the cream over medium heat until just to a boil, about 80C°/176F°.
- Quickly pour the warm cream over the chopped white chocolate.
- Let the mixture sit for about 1-2 minutes before stirring. Then stir slowly with a spatula until smooth in the middle and emulsify the cream and chocolate. The chocolate will often settle on the bottom of the bottom or the sides of the bowl, so make sure to scrape the side and the bottom to make sure it is all incorporated.
- If you have an immersion blender or a stick blender, Emulsify with a hand blender until smooth.
- Pour the white licorice chocolate ganache into a clean container, and cover the top immediately with a plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
- Refrigerate ganache overnight to firm up and to deepen the licorice flavors.
- Bakers Note: The placement in your fridge matters more than you might think. The coldest parts of your fridge, often at the bottom or near the back, can cause the ganache to cool unevenly or too rapidly. This can lead to a texture that’s less than ideal when it's time to whip it, sometimes making it grainy or too firm to achieve that perfect, smooth consistency. For best results, aim to place your un-whipped ganache in the middle of the fridge where the temperature is more consistent and not as cold as the bottom. Also, be mindful of the fridge temperature—it should be cold, but not as cold as a freezer. An overly chilly fridge can cause the ganache to set too hard, potentially leading to a grainy texture. Allowing the ganache to set properly without becoming too hard. When the ganache has cooled gently to the right consistency, it whips up beautifully, creating that silky, luscious texture.
- Unwhipped frosting can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container, with plastic wrap against the surface of the cream, for up to 5 days.
- Baker's Note: When whipping ganache, especially with white chocolate, it's crucial to remember it's better to underwhip than to overwhip. Overwhipped ganache can quickly become too thick, affecting its luxurious texture. Aim to whip the ganache to a slightly softer consistency than you might initially think is needed, as ganache tends to firm up after settling. This preparation is particularly important if you plan to use the ganache for piping on your cupcakes or spreading it on your cake later.
- Pour the ganache into a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip at medium speed until you reach soft medium peaks — this typically takes about 10 to 30 seconds. If your unwhipped ganache feels extremely cold when you take it out of the fridge—especially if the bottom or side of the container feels very cold—it's best to leave it at room temperature for about 20 minutes. Whipping a ganache mixture that is too cold (because your fridge might be too cold) can result in a grainy texture. This may extend the whipping time slightly beyond 30 seconds, so watch the mixture closely to achieve the perfect soft medium peaks.
- Use immediately or store in an airtight container with a plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 5 days. No need to re-whip It stays soft and lovely.
- Use the ganache to fill your cookies and cakes on top of cupcakes, serve it as a mousse with fresh berries on top, and so much more.