I’m a sucker for rose. I use Rose water as part of my beauty regime (including soaking cotton pads in it and placing them on my eyes to cool them) as well as using it in face masks. I use rose petals to prettify my food.  Fresh white roses look stunning in vases around the house. The heady fragrance of them transports me to Summer which is my favourite season (along with Spring).

Here I’ve used cocoa powder and not cocoa solids. This in my opinion makes this recipe more economical and a good standby recipe for when you want to bake but don’t have the desire to go to the store to buy chocolate. I mean that would be a fantastic shopping list but still….

Now onto Turkish Delight. Full of Eastern promise and boy does it deliver. The jewelled colour against the chocolate and that fragrance. It makes me happy. And loved.

So without going on too much I present to you my gooey, chocolately and slightly sticky Turkish Delight brownies.

I added an extra kick of rose flavouring by adding swirls of rose jam (Gul Recili) to the brownie before I baked it. This is completely optional.

I also used rose petals (food grade) to decorate the completed Brownie.

These beauties keep well for a five days. You can even blitz them in the microwave for 20 seconds to enjoy them warm. Suitable for home freezing too.

Best served with plenty of ice cream and chocolate sauce (drools).

To make 12 brownies (one 20 cm square pan) you will need:

150 grams butter

300 grams sugar (for a less sweeter version you can use 250 grams)

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla flavouring

90 grams plain flour

80 grams cocoa powder

1/4 tsp salt

100 gram Turkish Delight chocolate chopped

Optional extras:

5 tsp rose jam (available readily at Middle Eastern food stores)

1 tsp rose petals

To serve:

Vanilla ice cream

Chocolate sauce

Grease a 20 cm square pan. I used 1 cal coconut oil spray. Use what works for your dietary needs. Preheat the oven to 170 c.

1) Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat together.

2) Sift in the flour, cocoa and add salt. Stir to combine.

3) And the Turkish Delight and stir to evenly distribute the chocolate throughout the mixture.

5) Tip the mixture into the greased pan. Spread evenly.

4) If you are using the rose jam add teaspoons of it and swirl into the mixture.

5) Place the pan in the middle of the oven and bake for 40 minutes. I generally check the brownie after 35 minutes. If the brownie is set around the edges but is still wobbly in the centre it’s done. Take it out of the oven and allow to cool.

Don’t worry if there’s cracks on the surface of the Brownie this is normal.

Once the Brownie has cooled cut into squares and serve.

I generally like to warm up the brownie (for 15 seconds in the microwave) and add a scoop of ice cream with a drizzle of chocolate sauce and some rose petals. Yum. Enjoy your little taste of the East.