Fig And Walnut Brownie With Strawberry Pop Rock Caramel And Goat Cheese Icing Recipes

FRUIT-SWEETENED FIG AND WALNUT BROWNIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Oil an 8-by-8-inch baking pan.
• Put the figs and dates in a medium bowl and cover with very hot water until soft, about 5 minutes. Drain and transfer to a food processor; process until very smooth.
• Put the chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl and heat for 30 second increments, stirring after each, until melted and smooth.
• Whisk together the flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda in a small bowl.
• Add the melted chocolate and oil to the fruit puree and pulse to combine. Add the eggs and vanilla and pulse to combine. Add the flour mixture and pulse until just combined. Then add 1/2 cup of walnuts and pulse until the walnuts are in pieces about the size of peas.
• Transfer the brownie batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top. Break up the remaining 1/4 cup walnuts into small pieces and push into the top of the batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out moist with a little bit of batter clinging to it, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan on a rack. Cut into 16 squares. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

CHOCOLATE FIG BROWNIES

Steps:

• To make fig puree, cover about 125-150g of dried figs with boiling water (figs+water to equal 175g). Keep warm (you can microwave on low for 5 minutes or so or put in a small pan over low heat). Soak until soft (about 10 minutes) and puree in food processor or with stick blender. The puree should have a texture similar to thick batter or soft butter. If it's too thick, add a little water or if it's too thin, add more softened figs. (If you find you've made a bit more than the 175g you need for the brownies, you can use it to top toast or porridge or substitute for butter in biscuit or flapjack recipes.).
• Melt butter and chocolate together in a heat-proof bowl over a pot of simmering water, or put it in the microwave on low for about two minutes (check, stir and repeat until melted).
• Beat eggs, sugar and vanilla together until thick and creamy, then add 175g of the fig puree and then the chocolate/butter mixture.
• Sift together flour and baking powder (add a pinch of salt if desired) into the bowl and combine.
• If adding nuts, roast under grill or in a hot pan, chop and add.
• Pour into baking pan or loaf tins. I use silicone, which doesn't need preparation, but a metal tin should be greased and either floured or lined with baking paper.
• Bake at 180°C/350 F/gas mark 4 for about 30 minutes or until the brownie begins to crack and does not wobble when shaken. This may take slightly less or slightly more time depending on how hot your oven is and how you like your brownies (ie longer baking time makes a cakier, less fudgy brownie). Cool and cut into squares.
• A note about substitutions: this recipe is amazingly robust and seems foolproof. Feel free to make prudent and appropriate substitutions as long as you keep the correct proportions of wet and dry ingredients. I often cut the sugar (by 30-50g) and just add an equal amount of flour instead. You can use prunes instead of figs, or substitute spelt flour for wheat. I once used 200g of chocolate and substituted 5 tablespoons of cocoa with an extra tablespoon of fig puree for the rest. Significant subs can be made within reason.

CARAMEL WALNUT BROWNIES

Steps:

• This recipe has appeared in Joy since the original edition. Have all ingredients at room temperature. Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat oven to 350* F. Line a 13 x 9- inch baking pan (I always use Pyrex) with greased aluminum foil, allowing it to overhang the 2 narrow ends of the pan by 2 inches.
• In a large, heavy saucepan over very low heat, melt butter with chocolate, stirring constantly until the mixture is smooth.
• Remove from heat and set butter and chocolate aside until completely cool.
• Once cool, stir in sugar and vanilla.
• Stir in eggs until well-combined.
• Add flour and walnuts and stir until just combined (be careful not to overmix!).
• Scrape the batter into the pan and spread to the edges.
• Once level, drizzle caramel ice cream topping over brownies in a swirly pattern or zig-zag. Be careful not to get too much syrup in one spot, or it'll make a delicious, gooey hole in the finished brownies. The syrup will make a slight indentation into the brownies as they bake.
• Bake until the center of the pan is almost firm when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean but still moist at the bottom, 23-28 minutes.
• Remove the pan to a cooling rack and let stand several hours until completely cool.
• Using the overhanging foil as handles, lift the brownies to a cutting board, peel off the foil, and slice into pieces.
• **Helpful hint: Using a plastic knife will keep the brownies from sticking to the knife!***.