These Rum Raisin Brownies are fudgy and divine! The aromatic and chewy rum raisins take these brownies to another level
Christmas is here, people!
After having to deal with 2 challenging years, it’s time for us to forget about life’s stress and enjoy the upcoming holiday season.
Don’t you just love going to the shops and seeing them being decked up with glorious festive decorations? I bet you also love bopping along with the loud Christmas songs?… Okay, maybe that’s just me! What I don’t enjoy is being stuck in crowds and having to wait forever in queues. Especially when you have a 2-year-old toddler that’s trying to pull your pants down or throw themselves on the dirty floor.
Anyway, enough about that and back to what I adore about the Christmas holidays! Straight up, I love calories don’t count. Thanks to this way of thinking, I swear, I must gain around 3 to 5 kilos every year from binge eating! My New Year’s resolutions are always the same, and that’s to lose the kilos I’ve gained over Christmas. Since calories don’t count, let me introduce you to these naughty rum raisin brownies.
These brownies aren’t shy about the amount of sugar, butter, booze, fat and carbs it contains. Your dietitian or fitness trainer will probably hate you, but your friends and family will adore you.
Last year it was these luscious CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT BROWNIES This year we’re making ‘adults only’ brownies. So you know what that means, right? Bring on the booze!!!
Nothing goes better with rum raisins than chocolate. These brownies have a beautiful crust with a fudgy chocolaty centre. The juicy rum raisins provide chewiness and of course that welcome burst of rum in every bite.
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Beware, these are magical brownies!
So here’s the story. I recently made two batches of these Rum Raisin Brownies. The first time I made them, I soaked my raisins for a couple of hours and mixed them in the batter. The brownies came out so well, fudgy and oh so delicious. However, the raisins were massive and, as a result, they sunk to the bottom of the brownies. The rum taste was there, but I wanted a stronger rum flavour.
Did these slight flaws stop us from eating them? Of course not. We ferociously attacked them like a school of hungry piranhas! All 24 pieces of brownies mysteriously disappeared from their container. All 3 adult suspects involved pleaded their innocence and didn’t hesitate to throw the others under the bus.
Dangerously, I had to make another batch, one that I was happy with. I soaked the raisins overnight and placed the raisins on top instead of mixing them into the batter. After agreeing to only have only ONE slice each as a taste test, or maybe two, we gave them away after giving them the big thumbs up.
It was perfect timing because that Sunday, my husband, Tomasi was visiting his brothers Sello and Gavriel with our toddler, Kai. I packed the remaining brownies in a container so Tomasi could gift them to his brothers.
When hubby got home, he filled me in on the dramas involving the brownies. According to Tomasi, Sello volunteered to transfer the brownies from our container onto a plate in the kitchen. Sello was missing for a while and quiet, which raised Gavriel’s alarm. ‘Are you shoving those brownies down your throat?’ He yelled from the lounge room. Sello responded with a guilty laugh. Gavriel stomped over to the kitchen to grab the remaining slices.
Well, what can I say? These brownies have the power to make rational people act crazy. However, the word rational may not be an accurate representation of our family!
Brownies the way you love them!
I have a detailed post on how to make Rum and Raisin, and it’s super easy. All you need is a jar, raisins, rums and lots of patience. For plump, juicy rum filled raisins, it’s best to soak them overnight or longer. As a tester, I have made these brownies using raisins I soaked for a few hours. The rum was quite subtle, but it was still a very gorgeous tasting brownie.
Are you pedantic about where the raisins are in your baked goods? If you are, I totally understand! I’ve baked cakes that look absolutely perfect only to cut a slice and see the fruits or chocolate chips sink to the bottom. This usually happens when the batter is thin, and because of this, it doesn’t have the structure to hold the fruits in place.
Brownie batters are usually quite light and runny because it doesn’t call for much flour. So when I mixed the raisins into the batter, it all sunk to the bottom. Funny enough, this didn’t peeve me because I actually enjoyed eating them this way. The raisins that gathered at the bottom were so yummy and chewy! I would probably make it this way again!. To do this, just fold the raisins into the batter after mixing the flour in instead of placing them on the top.
Do you prefer your brownies fudgy or cakey? Fudgy always wins it for me! I love brownies with a crusty top and a fudgy middle. These brownies ticked all my boxes. Although it has loads of sugar, it doesn’t taste sickly sweet, but it’s still rich and luxurious.
If you don’t like rum or raisins, you can simply omit them from the recipe. This is an exceptional base for any type of brownie you want to create. To make it even more chocolaty, you could swap raisins for a cup of chocolate chips!
Ingredients for Rum Raisin Brownies
Rum raisins – For this recipe, you will need 1 cup of rum raisins. To do this, place 1 cup of rum raisins in a glass jar and pour in 1/2 cup of dark rum or more to cover the raisins completely. Leave the jar at room temperature overnight. For detailed instructions and photos on how to do this, please check out my Rum and Raisin post.
Dark chocolate gives the brownie an intense chocolate flavour and colour. I used dark cooking chocolate because contains a higher percentage of cocoa butter than eating chocolate. Cocoa butter will make the chocolate melt more quickly and smoothly.
Plain flour (all-purpose flour) does not contain any leavening agents.
Caster sugar (superfine sugar) – Caster sugar has finer granules than regular white sugar. However, it’s not the same as confectionary, icing, or powdered sugar. Many baking or candy recipes call for caster sugar as it dissolves faster and better into mixtures. If you can’t find caster sugar, you can make your own by placing regular sugar in a food processor or blender. Pulse the sugar a few times until it looks finer, but take care not to over-blitz it so a powder consistency. Regular white sugar would also work in this recipe.
Dark brown sugar – Added Molasses turns regular white sugar into brown sugar. They add more molasses to dark brown sugar, which gives it an intense toffee/caramel flavour. Regular brown sugar also would work in this recipe.
How to make Rum Raisin Brownies
Step-by-step guide with photos
Preheat oven to 190°C (370°F) or 170°C (340°F) for fan-forced ovens. Grease and line the base and sides of a 23x33cm (9x13in) baking tin with non-stick baking paper (parchment paper). Allow the parchment paper to overhang slightly lengthwise, as this will make it easier to remove the brownie from the tin.
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter by placing it in the microwave. Do this in 40-second bursts, stirring well after each burst until the butter has completely melted. Place the chopped chocolate into the melted butter and leave for 10 seconds, then stir to melt the chocolate. If the chocolate hasn’t completely melted, place it in the microwave for another 40 seconds. Set the melted butter and chocolate mixture aside.
In a separate large bowl, whisk the eggs together until combined. Then add in caster sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Whisk well to combine, then add the melted chocolate and butter mixture. Add in the flour and continue whisking until there are no dry bits showing.
It’s time to make the entire house smell like Rum Raisin Brownies!
Pour the batter into the tin and place the rum raisins evenly on top. Bake the brownies for 45 to 50 minutes. The surface of the brownie should have a crust and feel firm to touch. Leave the brownie to cool completely in the tin. Using the baking paper flaps to lift out the brownie, then cut it into slices.
Leftovers – Transfer brownies to an airtight container and store them at room temperature for 3 days or in the fridge for a week. Brownies are also good to freeze for up to 3 months.
For more sweet beautiful things for Christmas, try out Chocolate Bark With Candy Cane or impress people with homemade Brittle with Nuts
Cooking measurements are in Australian standard spoon and cup measurements.
A Third-Party Application calculated the calories and nutritional information. Please use this as an approximate guide only.
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Cheers (I’ll drink to that) – Cat Tre
Rum Raisin Brownies
Ingredients
For the rum raisins
- 1½ cup rum raisins (drained) (NOTE 1)
For the brownies
- 230 gm unsalted butter (chopped into cubes)
- 230 gm dark cooking chocolate (chopped into little pieces) (NOTE 2)
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup caster sugar (NOTE 3)
- 1 cup dark brown sugar (firmly packed) (NOTE 4)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup plain flour
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 190°C (370°F) or 170°C (340°F) for fan-forced ovens. Grease and line the base and sides of a 23x33cm (9x13in) baking tin with non-stick baking paper (parchment paper). Allow the parchment paper to overhang slightly lengthwise, as this will make it easier to remove the brownie from the tin.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter by placing it in the microwave. Do this in 40-second bursts, stirring well after each burst until the butter has completely melted. Place the chopped chocolate into the melted butter and leave for 10 seconds, then stir to melt the chocolate. If the chocolate hasn't completely melted, place it in the microwave for another 40 seconds. Set the melted butter and chocolate mixture aside.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk the eggs together until combined. Then add in caster sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Whisk well to combine, then add the melted chocolate and butter mixture. Add in the flour and continue whisking until there are no dry bits showing.
- Pour the batter into the tin and place the rum raisins evenly on top. Bake the brownies for 45 to 50 minutes. The surface of the brownie should have a crust and feel firm to touch. Leave the brownie to cool completely in the tin. Using the baking paper flaps to lift out the brownie, then cut it into slices.
