RecipeTin Eats’ gateau au chocolat (aka fancy brownie dessert)

Name: RecipeTin Eats’ gateau au chocolat (aka fancy brownie dessert)
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 2 (with extra brownies and ganache)
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 200g unsalted butter; 200g dark chocolate chips or melts; 175g (1 cup, loosely packed) brown sugar; 3 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 75g (½ cup) plain flour; 30g (¼ cup) cocoa powder, sifted; pinch of salt

Nagi Maehashi

March 25, 2024

A few touches help transform a brownie into gateau au chocolate.Nagi Maehashi

Time:2 hours +Serves:2 (with extra brownies and ganache)

Here’s a neat trick that transforms an everyday brownie to a restaurant-worthy dessert. Refrigerate the brownie so it becomes firm enough to cut into neat pieces, then let it come to room temperature so you get that melt-in-your-mouth fudginess, and add some simple but effective garnishes. Result: chef’s kiss.

Ingredients

Brownie

200g unsalted butter
200g dark chocolate chips or melts
175g (1 cup, loosely packed) brown sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
75g (½ cup) plain flour
30g (¼ cup) cocoa powder, sifted
pinch of salt

Ganache

40g (¼ cup) dark chocolate chips
65ml (¼ cup) thickened cream

To serve

cocoa powder, for dusting
2 Butternut Snap biscuits, finely crushed
vanilla ice-cream
2 raspberries
2 small mint sprigs

Method

Step 1
Preheat oven to 160C fan-forced (180C conventional). Lightly grease a 20cm square cake tin with butter and line with baking paper.
Step 2
To make the brownie, place butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring, until the chocolate has melted. Cool for 3 minutes.
Step 3
Add sugar and whisk. Add eggs and vanilla and whisk to combine. Add flour, cocoa and salt then whisk until smooth and glossy.
Step 4
Pour batter into the prepared tin, smooth the surface, and bake for 28 minutes. Remove from the oven, cool in the tin, then refrigerate for 1 hour.
Step 5
Remove brownie from the tin and cut 2 rectangles 4cm x 10cm. Set aside for 30 minutes to come to room temperature.
Step 6
To make the ganache, place chocolate and cream in a heatproof jug. Microwave for 30 seconds on high, stir, then microwave in 10-second bursts, stirring in between, until chocolate has melted. Allow to cool for a few minutes then cover and keep warm until required.
Step 7
To serve, dip a pastry brush into the ganache and make a smear on the middle of a serving plate. Repeat with second plate.
Step 8
Dust the brownies with cocoa powder, then place each on top of the chocolate smear. Sprinkle a little pile of crushed biscuits on top of each brownie at one end (this will hold the ice-cream in place) and another pile on the plate. Nestle a raspberry beside the brownie and tuck in a sprig of mint. Lastly, place a scoop of ice-cream on top of the brownie on the crushed biscuits. Serve immediately.

Tips

Once the fridge-cold brownie has been cut and comes to room temperature, use a spatula to move it to keep it looking neat.
If you don’t have a pastry brush, use the back of a dessert spoon to make an artistic swirl or smear, or pour a pool of chocolate into the middle of the plate and place the brownie on top.
To make an ice-cream quenelle, drag a large dessert spoon across the surface of the ice-cream to form a football shape, then use a second dessert spoon to shape it.
This recipe makes more brownies and ganache than you’ll need for two servings because it’s difficult to make less. But you don’t need me to tell you what to do with leftovers. (Hint: It involves a spoon and your mouth.)