Peanut and mandarin brownies
Who doesn't like a warm fudgy chocolate brownie? I absolutely adore them and I could eat them every day. There are a lot of brownie recipes everywhere but they are not all good. Some turn out dry and cake-like.
To get the best recipe, I knew I had to go to a reliable source. The recipe I used is from Christophe Michalak, you can find it here. The brownie has a full on chocolate flavor and it's absolutely divine. The addition of peanuts gives a soft brownie some texture and additional flavor. The recipe is very simple and foolproof. The most important element is the time of baking. If you over bake them, the brownies will become dry and they will loose the fudgy texture.
I wanted to elevate the presentation of a normal brownie to something more. I had this idea of chocolate rectangles and a delicious caramel in between. Since I had some condensed milk left over I made a dulce de leche and mandarin ganache. Chocolate and mandarin go together really well and also mandarin juice gives some freshness to a predominately chocolate dessert.
These brownies can be served plain or with the chocolate rectangles, whichever you prefer the flavor will be delicious.
Making the mandarin ganache:
Pour condensed milk into a small sauce pan and place on medium heat. Stir and caramelize. Once it turns golden add the milk and butter. Stir until combined. Chop milk chocolate into small pieces and place into a heatproof bowl. Pour the caramel over the chocolate and wait 2 minutes. Add salt and stir to combine. Juice and zest fresh mandarins and add to the ganache. Stir to combine.
Pour in a piping bag and place in the fridge to firm up.
Making the chocolate rectangles:
Tempering chocolate:
Chop 150 grams of dark chocolate in medium sized pieces, put in the heat-proof bowl and set aside. Chop the remaining 50 grams of the chocolate in tiny pieces and set aside.Put some water in a pot and heat gently to a simmer. Place the bowl with 150 grams chocolate on top of the pot, the water should not touch the bowl. When the chocolate starts to melt, stir and check the temperature. Keep checking the temperature until it reaches 45-48°C (113-118°F). When the chocolate reaches the right temperature take the bowl of the heat and stir in the remaining chocolate. The temperature should drop. Stir the chocolate gently to cool until it reaches 27°C (81°F). This may take a while, depending on the room temperature. When the chocolate is cool enough place the bowl back on the pot of simmering water and heat back to 30-31°C (88-90°F).
Smear a thin layer of chocolate on an acetate sheet. Put another acetate sheet on top and place a baking pan on top of the second acetate sheet (this helps the chocolate to stay strait). Place in the fridge for 20 minutes to firm up. Place back on room temperature.
Cut the desired sized rectangles with a sharp knife. Pain the edible gold powder on the chocolate rectangles (if using).
Assembly:
Pipe mandarin ganache on top of a brownie rectangle. Place a chocolate rectangle on top on the ganache.
Pipe another layer of ganache on the chocolate and top with the second chocolate rectangle. Garnish with mandarin segments, peanuts and leftover ganache.
.
To get the best recipe, I knew I had to go to a reliable source. The recipe I used is from Christophe Michalak, you can find it here. The brownie has a full on chocolate flavor and it's absolutely divine. The addition of peanuts gives a soft brownie some texture and additional flavor. The recipe is very simple and foolproof. The most important element is the time of baking. If you over bake them, the brownies will become dry and they will loose the fudgy texture.
I wanted to elevate the presentation of a normal brownie to something more. I had this idea of chocolate rectangles and a delicious caramel in between. Since I had some condensed milk left over I made a dulce de leche and mandarin ganache. Chocolate and mandarin go together really well and also mandarin juice gives some freshness to a predominately chocolate dessert.
These brownies can be served plain or with the chocolate rectangles, whichever you prefer the flavor will be delicious.
Peanut brownies
(Makes about 20)
Time:
Preparation: 30min
Cooking: 15min
For the brownies:
- 120g peanuts
- 95g brown sugar
- 95g muscovado sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 120g dark chocolate
- 210g butter
- 90g cocoa powder
- 50g all-purpose flour
- 220g condensed milk
- 60g milk chocolate
- 100g milk
- 10g butter
- a pinch of salt
- zest and juice of 3 mandarins
- 200g dark chocolate
- edible gold food powder
Preheat oven to 170°C (338°F).
Place eggs and both sugars in a bowl of your electric or hand held mixer and whip until pale and foamy. Meanwhile melt the butter and chocolate in a small sauce pan. Once the eggs and sugar have doubled in size start adding the chocolate while whisking.
Place eggs and both sugars in a bowl of your electric or hand held mixer and whip until pale and foamy. Meanwhile melt the butter and chocolate in a small sauce pan. Once the eggs and sugar have doubled in size start adding the chocolate while whisking.
Sift cocoa powder and flour in the mixture and stir to combine. Toast the peanuts and add them to the brownie batter.
Pour the mixture in a 30cm x 25cm mold and place in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes.
Allow to cool in the mold before cutting into pieces.
Making the mandarin ganache:
Pour condensed milk into a small sauce pan and place on medium heat. Stir and caramelize. Once it turns golden add the milk and butter. Stir until combined. Chop milk chocolate into small pieces and place into a heatproof bowl. Pour the caramel over the chocolate and wait 2 minutes. Add salt and stir to combine. Juice and zest fresh mandarins and add to the ganache. Stir to combine.
Making the chocolate rectangles:
Tempering chocolate:
Chop 150 grams of dark chocolate in medium sized pieces, put in the heat-proof bowl and set aside. Chop the remaining 50 grams of the chocolate in tiny pieces and set aside.Put some water in a pot and heat gently to a simmer. Place the bowl with 150 grams chocolate on top of the pot, the water should not touch the bowl. When the chocolate starts to melt, stir and check the temperature. Keep checking the temperature until it reaches 45-48°C (113-118°F). When the chocolate reaches the right temperature take the bowl of the heat and stir in the remaining chocolate. The temperature should drop. Stir the chocolate gently to cool until it reaches 27°C (81°F). This may take a while, depending on the room temperature. When the chocolate is cool enough place the bowl back on the pot of simmering water and heat back to 30-31°C (88-90°F).
Smear a thin layer of chocolate on an acetate sheet. Put another acetate sheet on top and place a baking pan on top of the second acetate sheet (this helps the chocolate to stay strait). Place in the fridge for 20 minutes to firm up. Place back on room temperature.
Cut the desired sized rectangles with a sharp knife. Pain the edible gold powder on the chocolate rectangles (if using).
Assembly:
Pipe mandarin ganache on top of a brownie rectangle. Place a chocolate rectangle on top on the ganache.
.
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