I call these lovelies apricot brownies or Sachertorte brownies. The sharpness of the apricot jam plays beautifully with the richness of the chocolate, and the whole shebang is set off nicely by the chocolate glaze
All the elements of a classic Sachertorte but in rich, moist brownie form!
You may also enjoy my peppermint bark brownies, fudgy chocolate brownies, or my strawberry swirl brownies.
For ease of browsing, here are all my cookie and bar recipes. Thanks for stopping by!
What Is a Sachertorte?
Sachertorte. Invented by a sixteen-year-old and later perfected by his son, the Sachertorte (pronounced “soccer-tort,” more-or-less) is one of the most celebrated of Austrian cakes.
As elegant things often are, the Sachertorte is a fairly straightforward combination of rich chocolate cake, apricot jam and chocolate glaze.
Apricot and Chocolate, A Great Combination
I may be in the minority here, but I find apricot jam itself to be quite boring.
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It’s sweet and a bit sharp, but it doesn’t seem to carry a ton of flavor. It’s usually relegated to being brushed on other fruit to make it shiny.
But its neutral sweet fruitiness works beautifully with dark chocolate. The jam adds a spark and a bright note to an otherwise dark and mysterious flavor. It doesn’t get in the way, yet it allows the chocolate to be more than it could be by itself.
While One might not make a Sachertorte just for the heck of it, this One would most certainly make a pan of apricot brownies just for the heck of it.
And why not add an apricot swirl along with apricot and chocolate glazes? That’s what I asked myself last week, and then I answered myself, “Absolutely no reason not to.” So here we are.
Variations on a Theme
Do you have to make your brownies just like I made my brownies?
No, you don’t. You can swirl in whatever jam makes you happy.
You can add nuts if you want. Just look for a balance.
When using more assertively-flavored jams, like raspberry, you may want to dial it back a bit. The fruit should support the chocolate, not punch it in its throat.
Before we get started, let me just say that I am a fan of gooey brownies. Ann Hodgeman once referred to brownies as “frosting you can pick up,” and that is totally the kind of brownie I like. If you like yours more done/less fudgy, bake them longer and/or bake them in a larger pan. It really is that simple.
A Note About Measurements
Don't let its small price and small size fool you. The Escali Primo is an accurate and easy-to-use food scale that I have used for years. It's easy to store, easy to use, has a tare function, and easily switches between grams and ounces/pounds for accurate measurements.
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Apricot Brownies with Bittersweet Chocolate Glaze
Ingredients
For the Brownies
- 6 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate , chopped finely
- 6 oz unsalted butter cut into pieces
- 5 oz cake flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon maybe a smidge more, fine sea salt
- 4 large eggs
- 16 oz granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons apricot brandy
For the Swirl and Glaze
- 1 10 oz jar apricot jam divided use
- 1-2 Tablespoons apricot brandy
For the Bittersweet Chocolate Glaze
- ⅓ cup apricot brandy
- ⅓ cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chopped finely
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 1 Tablespoon corn syrup
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Chop the chocolate finely.
- Melt the chocolate and butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently. You can also do this in a double boiler or in the microwave on medium power.
- Set the chocolate aside to cool.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- Beat the eggs and then whisk in the granulated sugar and brandy.
- Whisk the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and then fold in the dry ingredients gently but thoroughly. I use a whisk to do this so I don’t have to change Implements. Folding with a whisk works well. Just give everything a swipe around the sides and sort of roll the whisk over while mixing. Watch the video to see what I’m talking about.
- Pour 3/4 of the batter into a 9″x9″ pan lined with non-stick foil. You can also use a 9″x13″ pan if you want thinner brownies.
- Melt the whole jar of apricot jam over medium low heat, whisking well to thin it out some.
- Plop spoonfuls of jam over the batter, using about half the jam.
- Plop on the rest of the brownie batter and then swirl everything together by running a knife through the batter and jam several times.
- Bake at 325F for about 50 minutes for a 9″x9″ pan and about 35-40 minutes for a 9″x13″ pan. These times should give you a fairly gooey brownie. Bake a bit less for really gooey brownies. Bake them a bit longer for more “done” brownies.
For the Apricot Glaze
- Towards the end of baking, remelt the remainder of the jam along with 1-2 Tablespoons of brandy.
- Press the jam through a fine mesh strainer so it is completely smooth.
- When the brownies come out of the oven, spread the top with an even layer of the jam.
For the Chocolate Glaze
- Bring the 1/3 cup of apricot brandy to a boil and let boil for a few seconds to cook off some of the alcohol.
- Pour in the chopped chocolate. let sit for just a minute, and whisk until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
- Whisk in the butter, corn syrup and salt.
- Drizzle over the brownies in whatever decorative pattern makes you happy.
- These guys are super rich–slice them small.
- Store them in the fridge. You can either eat them cold (chewy-yummy), let them come to room temperature (gooey deliciousness) or warm them just slightly in the toaster oven or in the microwave on medium power (should be illegal).
Did You Make Any Changes?
Video
Nutrition
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These are some very shmancy fancy brownies, yet, so easy that no one else has to know! Love your video and your enthusiasm. I wish I had a batch in the oven right now.
Oh, my, these are indeed the best brownies ever–and I’ve tried lots of recipes! For once I didn’t over bake and they were moist, fudgy, and beyond good. I didn’t have apricot brandy so subbed regular with the jam. I made them for my 35th anniversary party and called them Sacher Torte Brownies, a tribute to my Viennese mother who would have loved them. Can’t wait to make them again, and to try them with raspberry jam as well.
I am thrilled that you enjoyed the brownies and honored that you would make them for such a special celebration! Happy, Happy Anniversary, Marlene, and thank you so much for letting me know! <3
Totally beautimus new site and I love that “Fearless in the Kitchen” features so prominently! I do channel your #Fearlessin2013 regularly, even when I don’t notify you. 🙂
Great brownie recipe, Jenni. Chewy and gooey are the operative words for any good brownie. These qualify in spades.
Thanks so much, Stacy! Honestly, the initial idea didn’t even say “Fearless in the Kitchen,” but it just sort of came to me on Sunday that we should incorporate that into the design, and I’m so glad that we did! Yay!
Oh, these brownies… Ridiculous! You should turn them into muffins for Muffin Monday sometime!
Lovely site! You gals did a great job 🙂
Brownies look divine! I can make and eat them now that it is fall and I can hide under sweaters 🙂
Thank you, Ilke! I love it! Fall is my favorite. I plan on doing plenty of sweater wearing and brownie eating! =)
Sooooo happy with your new slick cool awesome site! So much easier to navigate and find things. Yay you!!!
The brownies are A-Mazing!!! Gooey, dark, rich and I love fruit jams swirled into brownies. I’ve done it with cherry as well as orange but now I have to try apricot! Stunning! <3
Thank you, Jamie! I am thrilled with it! Do try with the apricot–it is kind of awesome! 🙂 And now I want to try w/orange!
EEEEP!!!! I made it the new blog and it’s FABULOUS, Jenni! LOVE what you guys have done with the place and the brownies look amazeballs!! YUM-O!!! Now I’m gonna go to your homepage and shek it out! 😀
Thanks, Niki! I am so excited–that Charissa is The Best! I’m really glad you like it! =)
Oh I do, I do! Good job Charissa!!! It’s beautimus! 😀
We have had The Funnest time with it. I like to be in the way, I mean “hands on,” during these sorts of things, and we worked well together–we kept up facebook messaging and collaborated for the whole thing. She is fantastic!
Frosting I can pick up- that is a perfect description! I love my brownies all ooey gooey good like yours and I certainly would love to taste what apricots do to a brownie! P. S.- I love the new site!
Then these will be right up your alley, Dionne! Apricots are the wind beneath a brownie’s wings. =) And thank you; I’m in love with the new look, too! Charissa did an amazing job!
Diggin the new digs! The brownies sound really. really. good too 😀
Thank you so much on both counts, Kita! =)