Chocolate and Pomegranate Brownie Slice

I don't know about you, but I'm starting to feel the Christmas spirit already. I know it's only October and Christmas is still ages away, but there's just something screaming Christmas at me lately. I think it has to do with the weather, it's getting hotter and certain trees are flowering and the distinct smell of Christmas is just starting to come about here and there. Don't worry I'm not posting a Christmas recipe this week...but just be aware that they might start popping up soon.

This brownie slice is so decadent. I thought I would try something a little different by making pomegranate cream and it might need a little tweaking still but it is still very delicious and goes well with the chocolate brownie. I found the pomegranate cream recipe on Pinterest from a blog called A Spicy Perspective in a recipe for Chocolate and Pomegranate Petit Fours. I would like to try the whole recipe one day.

Chocolate and Pomegranate Brownie Slice

Adapted from A Spicy Perspective

What you will need

For the brownie
130g butter
340g dark chocolate

1 1/4 cup sugar
1tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1/2 cup flour

For the pomegranate cream

230g unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup pomegranate juice
¼ cup flour

For the chocolate ganache

100g chocolate

50ml cream

What you will need to do

Preheat oven to 175*C and line a large rectangle tin with baking paper.
In a small saucepan melt the butter and chocolate over low heat. Stir until melted. Take off the heat and add the sugar and vanilla, stir until combined. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add the flour and mix rigorously for a whole minute until it becomes smooth and glossy and pulls away from the side of the pan a bit. Apparently this step is crucial to getting the right texture at the end. Pour batter into prepared tin. Bake for 30 minutes or until the centre feels almost set. You do not want to over cook them. Take out of oven and cool in the tin. Place in the fridge to cool.

For the pomegranate cream, place the pomegranate juice and flour in a small saucepan and whisk so there are no lumps. Place over medium heat and whisk until the mixture boils. Whisk until the mixtures becomes a thick paste. Place in the fridge to cool. Meanwhile beat the butter and sugar until fluffy and glossy. Add the cooled pomegranate mixture and beat for 5 minutes until fluffy.

Take the brownie out of the tin and cut in half to produce two identical slabs. Spread the pomegranate cream over one slab and then place the other one on top. Press down slightly.

To make the ganache. Place the cream and chocolate in a small saucepan and melt over low heat, stirring constantly. Leave to cool and thicken slightly and then spread over the tops of the brownie slice. Cut into small squares to serve.

Chocolate Brownies - My New Favourite!

I hadn't cooked with chocolate for a while and I was having withdrawals. I wanted to make something to take to a friends place for a BBQ and thought brownies would be perfect. But I decided to try a new recipe (risky I know) because there was still this certain brownie texture that had alluded me up until now. That dense and almost chewy texture as apposed to super moist cake-like texture. I had a good feeling about this new recipe.

In the past I had always tried to use brownie recipes that use cocoa powder instead of chocolate for convenience reasons but this time I went for the real thing. These brownies are amazing! They are exactly that texture I have been searching for and the nuts just really add to the experience. Topped with chocolate ganache they are to die for and extremely morish. Another great thing is you make it in one saucepan so its not too messy!

It is safe to say that when I open my own bakery, these babies will DEFINITELY be on the menu! I found the recipe floating around on Pinterest and it is a David Lebovitz recipe. I am really starting to like this guys recipes... a lot!

Chocolate Brownies

Adapted from Leite's Culinaria

What you will need

85g butter
225g dark chocolate
3/4 cup sugar
1tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

200g dark chocolate

100ml cream

What you will need to do

Preheat oven to 175*C and line a square baking tin with baking paper.
In a small saucepan melt the butter and chocolate over low heat. Stir until melted. Take off the heat and add the sugar and vanilla, stir until combined. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add the flour and mix rigorously for a whole minute until it becomes smooth and glossy and pulls away from the side of the pan a bit. Apparently this step is crucial to getting the right texture at the end. Stir in the chopped nuts and pour batter into prepared tin. Bake for 30 minutes or until the centre feels almost set. You do not want to over cook them. Take out of oven and cool in the tin.

To make the ganache. Place the cream and chocolate in a small saucepan and melt over low heat, stirring constantly. Once melted, pour over the top of the brownies still in the tin and leave to set. I put mine in the fridge to set quicker :D.

Chocolate Brownies

I used to make brownies a lot. I mean A LOT! Every time I went to a gathering I would take a plate of brownies and they would disappear instantly. I had a fail proof recipe that was not only quick and easy, but also economical. It didn't use any chocolate only cocoa powder so you were bound to have the ingredients on hand.

The only issue I had with this recipe was that it didn't exactly tick all the boxes for the perfect brownie. My guidelines for a great brownie include:

• Crispy thin crust on the top
• Dense middle

My brownies were fairly dense, but they were more cake like and didn't have a crust :(. It will always be my go to recipe though for last minute brownies when I have no chocolate :).

I am always searching for the perfect brownie recipe...and I think I found it! I tried a recipe from the Nestle cookbook but it wasn't quite right. They did taste a lot nicer after I froze them though, a tip I picked up from David Lebovitz. But then I tried a recipe I found on this wonderful blog 'I eat therefore I am' and what do you know, pretty awesome brownies!

I tried two variations, one with milk and white choc-chips and another with cookie dough (as seen on Bakerella). My choc-chips sunk to the bottom :( I think I should have added them at the end once the mixture was already in the pan. The cookie dough brownies turned out pretty spot on.

Chocolate Brownies

Adapted from I eat therefore I am

What you will need

300g dark chocolate
125g unsalted butter
3 large eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp coffee powder dissolved in 1 tbsp hot water
1/2 cup plain flour sifted

For choc-chip variation

1/2 cup white choc-chips

1/2 cup milk choc-chips

For cookie dough variation

1 packet cookie dough mix, made up

What you will need to do

Preheat oven to 180*C. Line a baking tin with baking paper (I used a loaf tin and a small round cake tin and found the cake tin worked better). In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate and butter. Put aside to cool slightly. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until thick and creamy. Fold in coffee, flour and chocolate mixture. Pour mixture into pan. 

For choc-chip variation, sprinkle white and milk choc-chips over mixture and swirl through once gently with a knife.

For cookie dough variation, drop spoonfuls of cookie dough over mixture and press down into mixture gently.

Cook for approximately 30 -35 minutes. Brownies should still be gooey in the middle when you take them out of the oven. Leave to cool in the tin until room temperature. I put mine in the fridge for an hour before I cut it but it isn't completely necessary.