An exceptional spiced brownie topped with a cinnamon cream and chocolate ganache. Fragrant with gingerbread spices and cinnamon, it fits perfectly into the festive season. A dessert for those who don’t want to give up chocolate on the Christmas table ;). Highly recommended!
Ingredients for the brownie:
- 180 g butter
- 250 g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon mixed spice
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 250 g caster sugar
- 100 g plain flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- a pinch of salt
All ingredients should be at room temperature.
Melt the butter in a saucepan and remove from the heat. Add the chopped dark chocolate to the hot butter and leave for 2 minutes. Stir until smooth and glossy.
In a large bowl, lightly whisk the eggs with a balloon whisk (do not beat). Add the vanilla extract and sugar, then stir to combine. Pour in the still-warm chocolate mixture and mix with the whisk. Sift in the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder and gingerbread spice mix. Add the salt and stir only until the ingredients are combined.
Pour the batter into a 17 x 27 cm baking tin, greased with butter and lined with baking parchment.
Bake at 160°C fan or 180°C conventional for approximately 30–33 minutes. The brownie will rise slightly and may crack around the edges or develop a crinkled top. A skewer inserted into the centre may come out moist, but it should not have raw batter on it. Brownies are not usually tested with a skewer, however, as it is not always an accurate indicator of doneness. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely.
Ingredients for the cinnamon cream:
- 350 ml double cream, chilled
- 150 g mascarpone, chilled
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons icing sugar
Place all the ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk until a thick, stiff cream forms.
Ingredients for the chocolate ganache:
- 80 g dark chocolate, finely chopped
- 80 ml double cream
Pour the cream into a small saucepan and heat until almost boiling. Remove from the heat, add the chopped chocolate and leave to stand for 2 minutes. Stir until smooth. Allow the ganache to cool slightly and thicken before using.
Assembly:
Spread the cinnamon cream evenly over the cooled brownie and smooth the surface. Chill in the refrigerator. Pour the thickening chocolate ganache over the top and decorate as desired.
Store in the refrigerator. Before serving, remove it from the fridge approximately 45–60 minutes in advance. The brownie becomes firm when chilled due to its high chocolate and butter content and tastes considerably better at room temperature. However, because of the cream topping, it must be stored in the refrigerator.
Enjoy!
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