Honeycomb and Hazelnut Brownie
These Cadbury Crunchie inspired brownies were totally delicious and are a huge hit in the office and with friends.
Layer One: Hazelnut and White Chocolate Brownie
1 large eggs
110g caster sugar
55g dark chocolate
55g unsalted butter
40g plain flour
15g cocoa powder
1/4tsp salt
1/4tsp baking powder
50g hazelnuts
50g white chocolate chips
Whip eggs and sugar for 5 mins til light and fluffy
Melt chocolate and butter, leave to cool slightly before adding to eggs and sugar
Add dry ingredients, combine well and put in lined 7inch square tin
Bake at 160 for 15-20 minutes
Layer Two: Honeycomb
125g golden syrup
125g caster sugar
2tsp bicarbonate of soda
Heat golden syrup and sugar in a high sided sauce pan until melted and reaches 149C
Take straight off the heat and stir in bicarbonate of soda
Pour over the cooled brownie
Layer Three: Chocolate
125g milk chocolate
Melt chocolate and pour over set honeycomb
Cookie Dough Brownies
Inspired by the incredible Cupcake Jemma, I embarked on the mission of recreating her Cookie Dough Brownies. Pieced together from bits of her other recipes, I think I nailed it — they were delicious at least — and the recipe was a little too complex for an instagram caption, so, here goes:
Layer 1: Brownie
Ingredients
3 large eggs
330g caster sugar
165g chocolate
165g unsalted butter
120g plain flour
45g cocoa powder
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking powder
Method
Melt the chocolate and caster sugar in a bowl over simmering water
Whisk the eggs and sugar til light and fluffy
Pour in the butter and chocolate mixture
Fold in the dry ingredients
Pour in to a 35 x 24 cm baking tin (greased and lined)
Bake at 170C for 18-22 minutes
Cool
Notes
This recipe comes from the Ultimate Caramel Crunch Cornflake Brownie video, which includes a much better guide on how to make it:
Layer 2: Caramel
Ingredients
300g caster sugar
200ml double cream
100g unsalted butter
2 tsp flakey sea salt
Method
Melt the sugar in a high sided pan until golden
Take off the heat and pour in the cream, stirring as you go
Stir in the butter and sea salt and return to the heat
Heat until the mixture reaches 118C and pour in to a bowl to cool
Once cooled slightly (but still warm enough to pour), pour the mix on top of the cooked and cooled brownie, and place in the fridge to cool completely
Notes
Jemma’s Caramel Masterclass video is essential for getting this right if you’re new to caramel like me — just follow the guide below, and throw in the sea salt with the butter as an extra bonus
Layer 3: Cookie Dough
Ingredients
100g unsalted butter soft
100g soft light brown sugar
100g caster sugar
6 tbsp yoghurt
1 tsp vanilla
280g plain flour
2 tsp salt
120g chocolate chips
Method
Beat the butter and sugars together until combined
Beat in the yogurt and vanilla
Fold in the flour, salt and chocolate chips
Layer on top of the now fully cooled (and firm) caramel topped brownie, and place in the fridge to firm up
Notes
This is scale up (four times the amounts) of the cookie dough Jemma uses in her cookie dough cookies — video guide below.
Layer 4: Chocolate Ganache
Ingredients
150g dark chocolate
150ml double cream
Flakey sea salt (to decorate)
Method
Warm the cream in a sauce pan then pour over the chocolate
Stir to combine, until smooth and shiny
Allow to cool slightly
Pour over the cooled cookie dough topped, caramel topped, brownie, and sprinkle with a little sea salt
Notes
This is the same way Jemma tops her Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Brownies, and, frankly, if you like peanuts, then probably just make these, as she explains everything way better than my hodgepodge attempt…
Video Blog: A Sunny Afternoon in Winchester
Last week seems like a million years ago — it's been a busy first week back at work — but it was so good to spend a lazy, sunny afternoon in Winchester with Alice.
Brombley Family Celebrations: Free-From Afternoon Tea
We spent last weekend celebrating lots of special Brombley Family events — my sister's birthday, my brother's engagement and Imogen Faith coming home — with a free-from afternoon tea and lots of other treats.
Free-From Afternoon Tea
Complications from endometriosis has meant that my sister has to avoid all kinds of allergens — gluten, eggs, dairy, soya — and as someone who has had to survive on a free-from diet, I wanted to make sure she experienced what is very rare for someone on a free-from diet: to look down on a table full of treats and know you can have anything you want! With some help from my sister, I spent Friday evening baking ready for an afternoon tea on Saturday, made up of...
- Vegan Blueberry Cheesecakes
- Black Bean Brownies
- Cashew Butter Cookies
- Lemon Drizzle Bars
- Free-From Scones
Plus a selection of sandwiches and wraps using gluten-free bread.
I think the stand out for me was the scones. I was genuinely worried that I would be making gluten-free rocks, but, surprisingly, they were really, really good. Also, I'm going to say this: but vegan cheesecake is better than dairy cheesecake.
A Surprise Engagement Party
After getting engaged earlier this year, this weekend was the first chance we had to celebrate my brother and his fiancee getting engaged. Balloons, cake, and prints of a lot of Instagram selfies all helped to create a surprise celebration.
Welcome Home Imogen Faith (and an Easter Egg Hunt)
What a joy it was to have Imogen Faith home and able to come join us for our celebrations. There was a never ending queue for cuddles from Aunties, Uncles and Grandparents. And as a well done to big sister and brother for dealing with a tough week, two huge Easter eggs!
Black Bean Brownies
When these vegan, gluten free, low carb brownies popped up on Facebook today, I knew I had to try them.
The recipe comes from So Vegan and it's basically fool proof: you blend everything in a food processor and bake. The only thing I would do differently next time, is to smooth the mix down a little better before baking: the mix doesn't flatten out in the oven like a regular brownie mix does, so mine turned out a little gnarly, although still quite pretty thanks to the whole walnuts I put on top.
Honestly though — and it's not just the mid-January diet desperation talking — these tasted incredible. Gluten free needed or not, vegan or not, these were packed full of deep, rich flavour and a bunch of healthy ingredients... plus some less healthy ones... but a treat is a treat.