Apple and Pear Brownies

I promise this is the final mention of that giant basket of pears I was gifted by my parents.  Listen, there were so many of them, you're lucky that I only have four recipes...  Pears and chocolate have a natural affinity and I love to match them up together whenever I can.  This time, I used two different types of fruit - a healthy helping of my Pear Puree and a bag of fantastic Apple and Pear pieces from Urban Fruit.  I'm a big fan of their products because they work perfectly when I'm baking.  The trick to using dried fruit like this is to separate it gently by hand and if it's a bit sticky, dust the pieces in some of the flour from your recipe.  This stops it clumping together and it will disperse evenly through your cake. 

Anyway, back to the brownie.  Lots and LOTS of chocolate makes for a squidgy, luscious brownie and this recipe literally feeds the five thousand.  You'll need a very big deep pan for baking.  If you don't have one, use a roasting tin that you've washed scrupulously and lined with baking parchment.  See, you can make these bad boys.

Apple and Pear Brownies
200g Dark Chocolate
170g Butter
3 Eggs
200g Caster Sugar
300g Pear Puree
100g Dried Apple Pieces
110g Plain Flour

Heat your oven to 180c/Gas Mark 4 and line a square cake tin with baking paper.
Melt the chocolate and butter together (either in a bain marie or in the microwave) - do it very gently so the chocolate doesn't burn.  Let it cool for 15 minutes.

Whisk the eggs and sugar together until pale and frothy, then add the pear puree and mix well.  Pour the chocolate into the bowl, whisking well so there's no hidden eggy bits lurking at the bottom of the bowl.  Finally, fold in the apple pieces and flour, then pour into your baking tin.  I'd recommend separating the apple pieces by hand and sprinkling a tablespoon of your 110g grammes of flour over them to stop them sticking together in the brownie batter.

Bake for about 30 minutes until the top is cracked and shiny (check it from 25 minutes on).  The brownie will be slightly squidgy in the middle.  Let it cool for 10 minutes before removing from the tin, hiding half for yourself and then cutting the rest into squares.  Dust with icing sugar if you're feeling particularly energetic.