Ingredients

• 165g/5¾oz butter
• plus extra for greasing
• 200g/7oz good-quality raw chocolate
• minimum 72% cocoa solids
• 3 free-range eggs
• 2 free-range egg yolks
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 200g/7oz soft light brown sugar
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• pinch salt
• 4 tbsp icing sugar
• 160ml/5½fl oz double cream
• 100g/3½oz cream cheese
• 25g/1oz butter
• 55g/2oz good-quality milk chocolate
• minimum 40% cocoa solids
• 30g/1oz single cream
• 1–2 tbsp milk (optional)
• 1–2 tsp sugar (optional)
• 250g/9oz raspberries
• 4 tbsp icing sugar
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp soft light brown sugar (optional)
• 9 whole raspberries
• 50g/1¾oz good- quality dark chocolate

Directions

• To make the brownies
• preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Grease a 20cm/8in square baking tin with the butter.
• Melt the butter and chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water. (Do not allow the base of the bowl to touch the water.) Whisk the eggs and vanilla extract in a small bowl and stir into the chocolate mixture.
• Mix the sugar
• flour and salt into the chocolate mixture and spoon into the prepared baking tin. Bake for 25 minutes. Leave the brownies to cool in the tin
• then cut into nine squares.
• Meanwhile
• for the cream cheese filling
• place the icing sugar and double cream in a bowl and whip until it becomes thick enough to hold its shape. Fold in the cream cheese. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm/½in plain nozzle.
• For the chocolate sauce
• melt the butter and chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water. (Do not allow the base of the bowl to touch the water.) Bring the cream to the boil in a small saucepan. Stir the cream into the melted chocolate mixture. Add the milk
• if the sauce is too thick
• and sweeten with the sugar
• if preferred.
• For the raspberry coulis
• place the raspberries
• icing sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5–10 minutes
• stirring regularly
• until the raspberries have broken down. Blitz the raspberry mixture in a blender or food processor until smooth. Pass the mixture through a sieve to remove any seeds. Sweeten with the sugar
• if preferred.
• To assemble the first trifle
• take a brownie square and cut it into eight squares. Crumble a brownie quarter into the base of a dessert glass. Add 2 tablespoons of chocolate sauce to the glass and smooth the surface. Pipe a swirl of cream cheese filling over the top that is approximately 1cm/½in deep. Crumble another brownie quarter on top. Add 1½ tablespoons of raspberry coulis and smooth the surface. Top with 2 tablespoons of chocolate sauce
• smooth the surface and pipe a final layer of cream cheese. Crumble the remaining brownie quarters over the top of the trifle and decorate with a raspberry. Drizzle some more chocolate sauce on top. Using a potato peeler
• grate some dark chocolate curls over the dessert. Repeat with the other eight trifles and serve immediately.