To be honest, this is the kind of recipe I wouldn’t normally do. I’d skim over it in one of my innumerable baking books and think, “too rich”, “precious ingredients” and “wobbly thighs” in quick succession before going on to something involving polenta or whole grains, but probably equally calorific.
Not only that, but I’d hide the recipe’s very existence from Mr. R&R, the resident sugar addict, for his own good. When Fabio recently found out I’d been denying him devil’s food cake due to some spurious diet (that he instigated), he gave me the kind of look of hurt disappointment that only Labradors can muster when begging for food. The look that makes you melt instantly into a giant puddle of guilt and give in at once. I made the cake, we ate the lot in about 10 seconds flat and I started running 5 miles a day.
Also, I’m generally crap at brownies – they either come out as overbaked rich cake, or underbaked and edible only with a spoon.
So yes, these ultra-decadent bars wouldn’t have been my first choice… but as previously noted, I’m finishing up all the bits and bobs in my cupboards before going back to Europe for the summer and I just happened to have a slab of chocolate, some vacuum packed chestnuts that needed to be used lest they expire as well as some sticky spice-soaked figs in the fridge… well, let’s just call it destiny. They are seriously good. Inevitably, Mr. R&R has developed a serious dependency. Perhaps I need a brownie rethink?
Chestnut and fig double chocolate brownies
Adapted from Ottolenghi: The Cookbook
Ingredients
- 190g graham crackers (I used homemade because I’m that kind of annoying person and they’ve closed my local supermarket, in a recipe from Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston’s Flour Bakery + Cafe) or use Digestives
- 90g melted butter
- 225g dark chocolate
- 150g unsalted butter
- 2 eggs and 1 yolk
- 45g caster sugar
- 120g vac packed cooked chestnuts, chopped
- 120g chopped dried figs
- 120g white chocolate
Instructions
- This is optional and you can use the dried figs as they come, but I’d already prepared these sticky ones for an ice-cream: cover the figs for 5 minutes in just-boiled water, then simmer figs until tender in a sugar syrup (half water, half sugar) with a cinnamon stick, a strip of orange zest or other warm spices. Cool and store in the fridge.
- Preheat the oven to 150˚C. Meanwhile prepare the base, by lining an 8 inch / 20cm square tin with parchment. Process the graham crackers into crumbs, mix with the melted butter and press into the base of the tin in an even layer. Put in the fridge to set while you make the rest of the bars. Chop the white chocolate, chestnuts and figs.
- When the oven is a temp, proceed. Melt the butter and chocolate together in a bain marie.
- Whisk the butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl until light and thick, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the chocolate to the butter/sugar, then fold in the figs, chestnuts and white chocolate.
- Pile into the tin and bake for between 20-30 minutes – the top should be just starting to go a bit pale and speckly while a skewer inserted should come out covered with crumbs that are still gooey. Try not to overbake – I store these in the fridge so they’re easier to eat and cut.
Leftovers
- Are you kidding? I haven’t tried this, but they’re so rich that I think these would freeze perfectly, defrost quickly and so be on hand for impromptu dinner parties, if you do that kind of thing.
- Don’t throw the syrup from the sticky figs away: cook diced apple and raisins in it for a delicious compote that’s like apple strudel without the pastry. Add vanilla ice-cream. Thank me later.
Preparation time: 20 minute(s)
Cooking time: 30 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 8
Culinary tradition: USA (General)
