- 300g/10½oz unsalted butter, plus knob for greasing
- 300g/10½oz dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids)
- 450g/1lb caster sugar
- 5 large free-range eggs
- 200g/7oz plain flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 x 225g/8oz jar maraschino cocktail cherries, drained, chopped
- 150g/5½oz blanched hazelnuts, roughly chopped
- 200g/7oz white chocolate, chopped into rough chunks
- 15 fresh cherries
- icing sugar, for dusting
- Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/350F/Gas 4. Grease and line the bottom and sides of a 30x23cm/12x9in baking tin with butter.
- Put the dark chocolate and butter in a small saucepan and heat until just melted. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the sugar and eggs together until light and frothy.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour with the salt.
- Once the chocolate has cooled slightly, add it to the sugar and egg mixture and mix until combined. Gradually add the flour and salt mixture, mixing well between each addition.
- Stir in the cocktail cherries, hazelnuts and 150g/5½oz of the white chocolate. Mix until evenly distributed then pour into the greased and lined tin and smooth the mixture into the corners.
- Melt the remaining 50g/1¾oz white chocolate and place evenly distributed blobs of chocolate on top of the brownie mixture. Use a cocktail stick to swirl the blobs of chocolate into the mixture. Place a fresh cherry at the base of each swirl.
- Place on the middle shelf in the oven and bake for approximately 35-40 minutes, or until just set. Be careful not to overbake the brownies.
- Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove carefully and place on the wire rack to cool. When cooled cut into 12-16 pieces and arrange in a mound of fudgy goodness on a pretty plate liberally dusted with icing sugar.