Lorraine's baking beauties: Refined-sugar-free walnut & raspberry one-bowl brownies

Published: 19:02 EST, 11 March 2017 | Updated: 19:02 EST, 11 March 2017

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This is a shortcut brownie recipe, perfect for when you just want to pull something together quickly, without the need for whisking and folding. All you need is a food processor and about 10 minutes. The big bonus is that they happen to contain no refined sugar – not that you’d notice, as they are so delicious.

MAKES 9

110g butter (I use salted)

75g plain flour or white spelt flour

170g pitted dates, chopped (Medjool or any that look soft and sticky)

1 tsp baking powder

70g cocoa powder (sifted if lumpy)

70ml whole milk

2 medium eggs

80g walnuts, roughly chopped

150g raspberries

EQUIPMENT

20cm square cake tin

food processor

1 Preheat the oven to 180C (fan 160C/ 350F/gas 4) and line the tin with baking parchment. I make sure there is some extra baking parchment hanging over the edges – this makes it easier to pull out the brownies when they are baked.

2 Melt the butter in a small pan or in the microwave and then leave to cool a little. Put the flour in a food processor with the dates, baking powder, cocoa powder, milk, eggs and melted butter. Then blitz until the mixture comes together and is well combined.

3 Tip the walnuts and 100g of the raspberries into the mixture and use a spoon or spatula to mix it together. Spoon this mixture into the lined tin, using the back of a spoon to make sure the top is nice and smooth. Arrange the remaining 50g of the raspberries on top, pushing them down ever so slightly into the mixture.

4 Pop this baking tin on to a baking sheet (this makes it easier to move the tin around) and then bake for about 15 minutes. When cooked it should be dry on top, but still slightly gooey and fudgy inside. Don’t be tempted to leave it in the oven any longer than this or you may end up with cake, not brownies – although they will still taste delicious!

5 Once the brownies are cooked, remove the tin from the oven, allow to cool a little and then cut into nine large squares. They are delicious served warm or cold.