Guittard Milk, Malt and Salt.
I'm celebrating my love of 38% Soleil D’Or milk chocolate with its intensely creamy and milky nostalgic taste with Malt and Salt to balance the other components and textures of the dessert. With 72% Onyx in the brownie and 65% Peru as delicate thyme twigs it's a careful balance of cacao bean strength and sweet indulgence.
Ingredients
For the Brownie
100g Unsalted butter
250g Unrefined golden caster sugar
75g Golden syrup
275g 72% Guittard Onyx
4 Medium eggs
70g Plain flour
For the Chocolate Thyme Twigs
250g 65% Guittard Machu Picchu Peru
25g thyme leaves - fresh
For the Salt Water Ganache
150g 38% Soleil D’Or milk chocolate drops/calettes
75mls water
2.5g Maldon sea salt
For the Panned Cacao Nibs
200g caster sugar
200mls water
100g cacao nibs
For the Malt Toffee
100g Malt extract
100g 38% Soleil D’Or milk chocolate
For the Whipped Goats Cheese
200g soft goats cheese
150mls double cream
Directions
For the Brownie
Bring to the simmer the butter, sugar and syrup.
Take off the heat and add the chocolate mixing well.
Add the eggs and beat well until smooth.
Add the flour and mix but do not over mix.
Bake in a lined 6” x 8” bakewell tin at 170 degrees c for 25 minutes.
Take out and leave to cool fully then refrigerate overnight or at least for 6 hours.
Trim off the edges with a hot wet knife then portion the brownie into ten pieces.
Cut each of the portions into cubes for each plate.
For the Chocolate Thyme twigs
To scorch the thyme leaves heat a dry saute pan until very hot.
Throw in the leaves, toss once and tip out so the leaves do not burn.
Cool fully.
Temper the chocolate.
Fill a piping bag with chocolate and cut a 3 to 4mm hole.
Pipe different lengths of twigs onto baking paper or acetate
Immediately sprinkle with the scorched thyme leaves over the twigs and leave to set for 15 minutes.
For the Salt Water Ganache
Place the nibs in a large frying pan and warm gently and thoroughly. Keep the heat low.
Boil the water and sugar to hard ball stage 118 to 120 degrees C
Once the sugar reaches the correct temperature take it off the heat and add a tablespoon of syrup to the nibs stirring constantly until they become dry.
Repeat the process until all the syrup has been used up and so the nibs are coated in a hard layer of sugar.
Remove from the pan and cool.
For the Malt Toffee
Melt the milk chocolate and add the malt extract mixing well.
Place into a small frame or tart ring and level out.
Allow to set and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Cut the toffee into 5 to 8mm cubes
For the Whipped Goats Cheese
Beat the goats cheese until it’s smooth.
Add the cream and whisk until gently soft.
Place in a piping bag.
To Build the Dessert
Brush an arc of melted chocolate onto the plate.
Place on the brownie cubes being random and artistic.
Pipe domes of whipped goats cheese.
Place on malt toffee cubes.
Pipe the water ganache.
Position the twigs and sprinkle the panned nibs over the dessert.
A delicate placing of sea salt crystals to finish.
