Hazelnut and White Chocolate Brownie with Marinated Berries and Mascarpone

, from Issue #15. September, 2015
Photography by Aaron McLean.
Hazelnut and White Chocolate Brownie with Marinated Berries and Mascarpone

Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS

¼ cup hazelnuts, roasted, peeled and finely chopped
½ cup flour pinch of salt
50 grams white chocolate, chopped
150 grams butter
200 grams white chocolate, chopped
175 grams caster sugar
2 tablespoons orange or hazelnut liqueur – optional
3 eggs

Berries
1 punnet of strawberries, hulled and roughly chopped
¼ cup limoncello
¼ cup caster sugar
zest of 1 lemon

To finish
1 punnet raspberries or blueberries
150 grams mascarpone
150 ml cream

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 160°C.  Grease a 35 cm x 11 cm rectangular tart tin and line with baking paper.

Brownie: Combine the hazelnuts, flour, salt and the 50 grams of chocolate in a bowl and set aside. Put the butter and the 200 grams of chocolate in a heat-proof bowl and place over a pot of simmering water. Stir occasionally until ¾ of the chocolate has melted then remove the bowl from the heat and stir until smooth.

Beat in the sugar and liqueur, then the eggs, one at a time. Fold in the flour mixture using a large metal spoon.

Spoon into the prepared tin and smooth the top. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the top is crusty and a skewer inserted comes out with a few damp crumbs. Allow to cool before removing from the pan.

Berries: Put the strawberries, limoncello, sugar and the zest in a bowl and stir. Leave to marinate for a couple of hours if possible.

Whisk the mascarpone and cream together until it just starts to thicken.

To serve: Fold the berries into the marinated strawberries. Cut the brownie into slices and dust with icing sugar. Place 2 pieces on each serving plate. Top with a dollop of cream and spoon over the berries along with some of their juice. 

Menu: Serve with Goat’s Cheese Fritters with Beetroot and Fried Mint and Grilled Lamb with Fennel, Basil and Figs.