We should cocoa just celebrated it's first year and there was a fantastic virtual party to celebrate - do check it out if you want to indulge in all sorts of chocolatey goodness! To kick-start the new year, the challenge for this month is chilli! I've made chocolate and chilli cupcakes previously with mixed response - I think it was not to everyone's taste so I was quite nervous about this month's challenge. As mentioned before, I've just changed jobs (yes started already in lovely new job) and I made this together with a giant red velvet cupcake for my last day.
I got this recipe from BBC food and I have to say I was honestly surprised at how well it turned out. I was really worried that nobody would like it or that it would taste horrible. In fact I actually cut a small piece to try before bringing it to work! I had to stop myself from eating more as it was really, really good :)
This is one of the best things about these challenges - discovering new recipes or techniques and/or trying something new or different. I don't generally like white chocolate but I'm ok with chillies. However the combination was fantastic. It was really light and delicious and you could really taste the chilli but it wasn't overpowering. I could honestly have eaten the whole tray myself. Someone told me it was the best thing I've baked so far!
If you are skeptical (like I was) honestly, give this a go and I promise you won't regret it.
I found an orange chilli instead of a red one but figured that it wouldn't make much of a difference 
I chopped the chilli quite finely (probably more than required) as I was worried it would be too spicy 
cooking the chillies with sugar and water 
adding to the brownie mix - I love the colours 
fresh from the oven 
dust with icing sugar 
delicious!Recipe from BBC food (from Saturday Kitchen)
200g butter
300g white chocolate, chopped
3 medium eggs
150g caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
200g plain flour
pinch of salt
icing sugar for serving
For the chillies
1 large fresh red chilli, de-seeded
1 large fresh green chilli, de-seeded
100g caster sugar
150ml water
- Preheat the oven to 180C.
- Lightly butter a 20cm x 30cm straight sided baking tin and line with greaseproof paper.
- Finely slice the chillies on the diagonal.
- Combine the sugar, water and chillies and bring to the boil, stirring. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- In a heatproof bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water, melt the butter and 150g of white chocolate, whisking well until smooth.
- Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
- In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla together until pale.
- Beat in the melted white chocolate mixture.
- Fold in the sifted flour and salt, then the remaining chopped white chocolate (150g).
- Drain the chillies and add most of them to the batter.
- Pour into the baking pan, strew the remaining chillies on top and bake for 25 minutes or until the top is firm and lightly golden.
- Remove and cool in the pan.
- Cut into small or large squares, dust with icing sugar and serve.
