Valentine's Day Inspiration: Chocolate Meets Wine

This Valentine’s day, we are celebrating with some sweet indulgence. It’s no secret that chocolate and wine are an ideal couple, with pairing options that will take your tastebuds to cloud nine. On this week’s blog, we have been inspired by our love for chocolate of all kinds, from truffles to fudge. We’re including a recipe for Strawberry brownies, a baked confection with all the richness of a brownie and the romance of a chocolate covered strawberry. Of course, we’re enjoying this decadent dessert alongside our wine of the month, Solera in Perpetuum, a luscious port-style dessert wine. 

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Brownies

by Meghan at Cake n’ Knife

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp instant espresso powder
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 7 oz dark chocolate, chopped
• 5-7 strawberries, sliced up
• Garnish: Shaved dark chocolate

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line a 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Spray with nonstick spray and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, stir together melted butter and sugar until combined.
3. Stir in eggs, salt, baking powder, vanilla extract, and instant espresso powder.
4. Add cocoa powder and flour, stirring until combined and there are no lumps.
5. Fold in chopped chocolate.
6. Add batter to the prepared baking pan and spread into an even layer. It helps to spray a spatula with nonstick spray so the batter doesn’t stick and spreads easier! Top with chopped strawberries, slightly pressing them into the batter.
7. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs.
8. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan before removing from the pan. Sprinkle with shaved dark chocolate, if desired, before cutting.

Recipe and photo by Meghan at Cake n’ Knife

We recommend serving these amazing brownies with our Solera in Perpetuum. This deluxe dessert wine offers dense aromas of fruit preserves, toasted almond, hazelnut, and jammy flavors of blackberry, dried plum, and cocoa. A rich, sweet mouthfeel gives way to a lingering finish. Solera is on sale now, so get yours today!

Elevated brownies and delectable wine—what could be better? We hope you enjoy this decadent combination with someone you love. Happy Valentine’s Day!