Desserts Recipe
In-house by our pastry chef for over 40 years. Listed on the Blackboard.
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Ingredients
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Classic Chocolate Brownie (serves 8)
Vanilla Bean Crème Anglaise (for serving, makes ~1 cup)
Method
Classic Chocolate Brownie (serves 8)
- 1
Prepare
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8x8 inch baking pan with parchment paper leaving an overhang for easy removal; lightly butter the parchment.
- 2
Melt chocolate and butter
In a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (double boiler) or in short bursts in the microwave, melt the chopped bittersweet chocolate with the butter, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
- 3
Mix sugar and eggs
Whisk the granulated sugar into the slightly cooled chocolate mixture. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking briskly after each addition until fully incorporated and the batter is glossy. Stir in vanilla.
- 4
Add dry ingredients
Sift together the flour, cocoa powder and salt. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the chocolate mixture with a spatula until just combined; do not overmix. Fold in the chopped nuts if using.
- 5
Bake
Transfer batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 22–28 minutes, until the edges are set and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs (not wet batter).
- 6
Cool and serve
Cool the pan on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes. Use the parchment overhang to lift the brownies out, transfer to a cutting board and slice into 8 squares. Dust with powdered sugar if desired and serve warm or at room temperature with crème anglaise.
Vanilla Bean Crème Anglaise (for serving, makes ~1 cup)
- 7
Warm milk and cream
In a small saucepan, combine the milk, cream and the scraped vanilla bean and seeds (or vanilla extract). Warm over medium heat until the mixture is hot and steamy but not boiling; remove from heat and allow to sit 5 minutes to infuse.
- 8
- 9
Cook custard
Pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon and reaches about 170–175°F (77–80°C). Do not boil.
- 10
Strain and chill
Immediately pour the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove the vanilla bean pod and any cooked bits. Allow to cool slightly, then cover and chill in the refrigerator until cold. Rewhisk before serving alongside the brownies.
