Here we have a super easy and a well recognized dessert, a brownie, almost everybody knows it and loves it. For sure, if you like baking, you have already done it, and likely not once, so there is not much introduction needed.
The elaboration is quite easy as well, but what we are going to do, is we are going to add something and change a bit a classic recipe, otherwise, there is no place to curiosity and fun!
Well, we’ll add some dark chocolate ganache and white chocolate ganache on it and we are going to use pistachios instead of chestnuts, and not just any pistachios though, but raw, unsalted and unroasted pistachios, as they have that nice green color that is usually lost in toasted ones, if you prefer to call them organic or ecologic, let it be so. They are a little more expensive and hard to find in the shops, of course, but believe me, they are worth it. Furthermore, the taste is so much better!
Alright, here is the recipe:
Ingredients for the mix, appx. 8-10 double layered brownies, depends on how big you prefer to cut them:
- 60 g sifted all-purpose flour
- 180 g powdered sugar
- 40 g golden syrup (inverted sugar)
- 80 g chopped dark chocolate (70% or more), use a good one
- 2 whole eggs (size L)
- 130 g unsalted melted butter
- 80 g chopped unsalted, unroasted pistachios and some more the most nice and green ones for decoration
- a bit of butter or spray to grease a pan
For the white chocolate ganache:
- 100 g white couverture chocolate
- 80 ml heavy cream (min. 35%), hot
- 100 ml heavy cream, cold
For the dark chocolate ganache:
- 150 g dark couverture chocolate
- 10 g dark cocoa powder
- 180 ml heavy cream
Directions
For the batter:
- Adjust oven rack to middle position, preheat an oven to 180°C 350°F (350°F), and line an 8-inch-square, aluminum or steel baking pan with a long strip of parchment to cover the bottom.
- Chop the chocolate into small pieces and melt it in a double boiler or in microwave (but with caution)
- Chop the butter into squares and melt in a microwave
- In a bowl combine the melted chocolate, the melted butter, the golden syrup, the eggs and the confectioners sugar. Mix very well with a mixer at a low speed or with a spatula until you get a homogenous, glossy mixture with a divine aroma of chocolate.
- Add the flour and mix the batter with a spatula to blend it well.
- Add the chopped nuts, mix well.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spread into an even layer, and bake until the brownies are glossy, puffed, a but soft and moist inside, about 20 minutes. As you know, the time depends a lot on the oven, the most important thing is that brownies should remain moist and fudgy inside, never dry, so you have to check the cooking by inserting a toothpick.
- Let it cool and with a round pastry cutter make equal circles, the smaller the cutter is, the more circles you will get, we need two to assemble each brownie. Otherwise you can cut them into squares using a knife or a square cutter. Put them aside.
For the dark chocolate ganache:
- Chop the chocolate into small pieces (or use a couverture chocolate in drops) and mix it in a bowl together with the previously sifted cocoa. Melt it in a double boiler.
- Bring to a boil the cream and then add it gradually to the chocolate. Beat the mixture vigorously until the crean is fully is incorporated and you get a homogeneous chocolate cream.
- Let it cool a bit and put in a pastry bag with a medium round nozzle.
For the white chocolate ganache:
- Melt the chocolate in a double boiler.
- Bring to a boil 80 ml of heavy cream. Then add it gradually (not all at the same time!) to the melted chocolate. Mix it very well with a whisk until fully incorporated.
- To make the cream more smooth and shine you can process it in a blender at low speed.
- Then add 100 ml of a very cold cream. Mix a few minutes until the cream is smooth.
- Cover the ganache with a plastic wrap, so that the plastic is in direct contact with the surface of the cream. It has to stay in the fridge for 3-4 hours. If you can prepare it a night before – even better.
- After refrigerating, when ganache is very cold, whip it with a mixer for several minutes just until you get a nice creamy texture, be careful as it can curdle.
Assembling brownies
Put the ganache in a pastry bag with a round or rose nozzle, arrange your brownie circle layers putting one on top of another with the dark chocolate ganache between them.
Then decorate the top with the white chocolate ganache and some pistachios or mix of nuts.
You can make them round or square, with two or three layers, smaller or larger, all up to your taste!
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