Raspberry Mascarpone Marbled Skillet Brownies
These are sort of a take on a cheesecake brownie, only much simpler and still just as delicious. Full disclosure: these result in a fudgy brownie so if that's your jam, these will be right up your alley. If you like cakey brownies, well, go make a cake.
The creamy mascarpone adds silkiness and balance and the fresh pop of raspberries add the perfect fruity counterpoint to the chocolate. And salt, because salt on ALL THE SWEETS. Enjoy!
Raspberry Mascarpone Marbled Skillet Brownies
makes 1 10" skillet of brownies
1/2 c unsalted butter, softened
12 oz semisweet or dark chocolate bar, chopped and divided ( I used Vahlrona 71% Bittersweet)
3/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c granulated sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
2 t vanilla extract
2 t instant espresso powder (I use Starbucks Italian VIA as I find it more flavorful)
2/3 c all purpose flour
1/2 t kosher salt
1/3 c mascarpone, room temperature
6 oz fresh raspberries
flaky sea salt for sprinkling (I used Maldon)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 10 inch cast iron skillet and line the bottom with parchment. Set aside. Set a medium bowl over a pot of simmering water to create a double-boiler. Gently melt 8 ounces of the chopped chocolate and the butter together. Once melted, remove from heat and let cool slightly. Add in the sugars and stir to combine. Add in the eggs, stirring to incorporate after each egg. Add in the vanilla and espresso powder and stir to combine. Stir in the flour and salt until just combined. Stir in the remaining 4 ounces of chopped chocolate and then pour the batter into the skillet, smoothing out the top.
Dollop spoonfuls of the mascarpone over the top of the batter and then using a skewer or knife, swirl the mascarpone into the batter, creating a marbled effect. Sprinkle a pinch or two of flaky sea salt over the batter then scatter raspberries over the top. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out with clumpy crumbs (not clean) and not runny batter. Allow to cool completely before slicing so allow the brownies to set. I chose to pop mine out of the skillet and cut into diamonds (this is where the parchment-lined bottom is handy), but you could also just serve it right out of the skillet and cut into wedges instead. Or even better, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.
