Red Wine Chocolate Fudge Brownies

Cooking with Linganore Wines: Red Wine Chocolate Fudge Brownies

By: Matthew Lorman

The question of what to do with that last little bit of wine in the bottle always puzzles me (mostly because wine doesn’t last long at a party with good friends). An open bottle of wine never tastes as good the next day as it does the day it’s opened. So what do you do with it? Do you save it? My response is always to cook with it! Add wine to certain recipes can create a remarkable flavor experience that few other ingredients can achieve. Many people are familiar with adding wine to a sauce, or stew, but how about brownies? Rich cherry and raspberry overtones in red wine can translate beautifully into a nice, chewy brownie. I recommend serving these brownies while they are still warm with a scoop of vanilla gelato, and a glass of Linganore Steeplechase.

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• ½ cup butter, cut into pieces
• ¼ Linganore Steeplechase Red (or any Linganore fruit wine such as raspberry or strawberry)
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ½ cup all purpose flour
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter an 8×8 pan and set aside
2. Melt the chocolate and butter together in the microwave, stirring occasionally until melted
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugars, and vanilla. Whisk in the chocolate mixture, and then the wine. Add the flour, cocoa powder, and salt and stir until the batter is smooth. Fold in the chocolate chips being careful to not over mix.
4. Pour the batter into the buttered baking dish, and bake for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out clean.
5. Let the brownies cool slightly before cutting and enjoying with a glass of Linganore Steeplechase Red!