CRUSTY DARK CHOCOLATE BROWNIE
WITH LIGHT MOUSSE AND HERBAL BLACK CURRANT SYRUP
"AT THIS POINT IN LIFE
THE BEST I CAN HOPE FOR
IS TO RUIN MY LIFE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION -
A CONTROLLED DEMOLITION .."
Darby Hudson
Hudson, a great poet who still lives and breathes, doing poetical justice to the sacred folly of humanity.
May this quote be the words of wisdom for this cake of cakes.
A brownie.
A deconstructed brownie for a deconstructed life.
What a f*cking year.
So, what else could I have made?
A controlled demolition.
On a plate.
Memories of who I was, who I am and who I’m becoming ..
Someone recognizable to myself.
That is my hope.
TO BE MADE BY THE LIFE I RUIN ..
A CONTROLLED DEMOLITION ..
A brownie, really, is like a heart.
Fierce flavour, but fragile and easy to kill.
However, the tenderest are hearts on fire, so I serve the brownie just so ..
Deliciously cracked by heat, yet nearly raw – bleeding life.
Black currant, “solbær” in my native language, which translates to “berry of the sun” ..
A berry with a taste of waning light in late summer.
Deep, herbal sweetness and earthy, aromatic rosemary.
.. and even though summer’s passed and it’s too late, I shall reminiscence and call it solstice syrup.
The mousse is smooth, light and pleasurably sweet, while the brownie is dark and persistently bitter.
C’est la vie!
To romanticize life is to taste it.
Romance is bittersweet .. and passion is pain.
Pain we choose.
Consciously.
Willingly.
Lovingly.
.. and even though this cake has a bitter taste to it, there’s a sweetness to yearning.
Enjoy the taste of that.
The wondrous, violent yearning that is the pain of the human heart.
This delicious ache of wanting more ..
It’s not a matter of love, hate, gratitude or being content.
It’s a matter of purpose.
A conscious choice.
I’ve realized that perfection isn’t purpose .. and I’ve decided not to hate myself for it.
Purpose.
Enjoy with abandon, without apology.
Without apology.
That’s important.
Yield to it.
The yearning.
For better or worse.
I PREFER A BLEEDING HEART ..
CRUSTY DARK CHOCOLATE BROWNIE
WITH LIGHT MOUSSE AND HERBAL BLACK CURRANT SYRUP
PORTION: 12 people
INGREDIENTS · DARK CHOCOLATE BROWNIE :
225 g. butter
200 g. 80% dark chocolate
100 g. big chunks of chocolate of choice
4 room tempered eggs
200 g. cane sugar
100 g. brown sugar
65 g. regular flour
30 g. cocoa powder
½ tsp. salt
INGREDIENTS · LIGHT CHOCOLATE MOUSSE :
200 g. 40% light chocolate
10 pasteurized egg yolks
75 g. powdered sugar
500 ml. whipping cream
INGREDIENTS · HERBAL BLACK CURRANT SYRUP :
250 g. black currants
100 g. regular sugar
50 ml. water
½ tsp. vanilla
2 sprigs of rosemary
OVEN TEMPERATURE + FUNCTION :
175°C / 350°F · Static
INSTRUCTIONS · BROWNIE :
Preheat the oven, line a 22 x 22 cm. / 9 x 9 inch baking pan of choice with parchment paper and grease it.
Cut the butter, chop the chocolate and melt it gently, whisking occasionally.
Once it’s all melted, remove it from the heat and let it cool slightly.
Whisk the eggs on low speed while gradually adding the cane sugar + brown sugar.
Then increase the speed to the highest and whisk for 10 minutes, till the eggs are a light fluff – that’s what makes the crust!
Meanwhile, mix to combine flour and cocoa powder.
Sift it to remove clumps, then add the salt.
Right, when the eggs are ready, decrease the speed to low again, slowly add the butter + chocolate mixture and the chocolate chunks and mix for a few seconds till incorporated.
Never mind streaks, only mix for a few seconds!
Now, gently mix the wet and dry ingredients – be careful with the eggs!
Pour the batter into the pan and bake for approximately 45 minutes.
Bake times depend on the pan of choice, so check it!
We don’t want a wobble, but a good and moist brownie with a crispy crust.
Let it cool .. and once cooled, take a sweet moment breaking it to pieces ..
INSTRUCTIONS · MOUSSE :
Chop the chocolate finely and put it in a bowl to melt gently at low heat.
Whisk yolks and sugar to a light, fluff and drizzle the chocolate into the mixture ..
Now, mix well but be just as careful not to beat the wonderful fluff out of it.
Whip the cream and fold it ever so gently into the chocolate mixture.
Place the mousse in the fridge for at least 5 hours ..
INSTRUCTIONS · SYRUP :
Simmer all the ingredients for 15 minutes, till the berries release the juices ..
Strain the mixture through a fine sieve to remove the skins and seeds.
Then pour the hot syrup into a sterilized container and place it in the fridge to cool completely.
ENJOY, WITHOUT APOLOGY .. AND WITH GREAT ABANDON!
you'll be wanting more ..
