Chocolate Brownies with Salted Caramel & Biscuit Crumb

Method

Step 1:

Chocolate brownies: To start, place a saucepan on the stove and add 500ml of water, then place a stainless steel bowl on-top and add the chocolate buttons. Stir until the chocolate melts. In another bowl, crack the eggs and give them a light whisk. Add the sugar to the melted chocolate, followed by the melted butter, cocoa powder and White Wings Plain Flour and eggs. Mix it until the ingredients are well combined. To finish it off, add a handful of chocolate buttons into the mixture. Line a 20cm x 30cm baking tin and pour in the mixture. Place in a preheated oven at 165 degrees Celsius for 45 minutes. Once the brownie has baked, allow it to cool in the tin before slicing them into even squares.

Step 2:

Poached pear: Peel each pear from the stem down and slice into cubes, then sprinkle each pear with lemon juice. In a pot, combine the pears with 500ml of water, 680 grams of sugar, half a lemon juice. Next, bring the pears to a boil by increasing the heat to high and allowing them to simmer for five minutes. Once the pears begin to simmer, take off the heat and drain the liquid. Put aside for plating.

Step 3:

Pistachio praline: Place a lightly greased sheet of baking paper onto a tray and lay out the pistachios. On the stove, heat 100g of caster sugar with 100ml of water on a medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the liquid turns a deep brown. Then, pour the liquid over the pistachios and set aside to cool down. Once the praline has cooled down, shatter the praline using a hard solid object.

Step 4:

Salted caramel: Tip 250g of caster sugar and 100ml of water into a saucepan and place it on a medium heat to dissolve the sugar. Do not stir the sugar as this will cause the sugar to stick and crystalise into lumps. Instead, simply agitate the sugar occasionally using the end of a wooden spoon, just to ensure the sugar melts evenly. Once the sugar has melted, turn up the heat and allow to bubble for five minutes until it turns into caramel. Whisk some butter cubes into the melted caramel, then add the double cream and a pinch of salt, then allow to cool.

Step 5:

Biscuit crumb: Combine the White Wings Biscuit Mix with 100ml of melted margarine, 475ml of water and 50g of sugar. Using a mixer and dough hook, blend the ingredients together on a low speed until all ingredients combine. Then, pour the mix into a lined tray and press firmly together using your fingers. Place it in the oven at 170 degrees Celcius for 15 minutes, then into the fridge to cool down. Once it has cooled down, break the biscuit to create a crumb.

Adding mixture to the oven

Step 6:

Biscuit cream: Combine the cream and half a serving of the cooled down biscuit. Then, scope into a piping bag.

Step 7:

To serve: Create a bed of salted caramel on the plate, then place the brownie on-top, followed by the biscuit cream. Top the dessert with the praline and biscuit crumb.