Chocolate brownie and raspberry trifles
These trifles make showstopping desserts – the combination of layers taste amazing and look stunning.
You will need a large piping bag fitted with a 1cm/½in plain nozzle.
Ingredients
For the brownies
- 165²µ/5¾´Ç³ú butter, plus extra for greasing
- 200g/7oz good-quality raw chocolate, minimum 72% cocoa solids
- 3 free-range eggs
- 2 free-range egg yolks
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 200g/7oz soft light brown sugar
- 3 tbsp plain flour
- pinch salt
For the cream cheese filling
- 4 tbsp icing sugar
- 160ml/5½fl oz double cream
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú cream cheese
For the chocolate sauce
- 25g/1oz butter
- 55g/2oz good-quality milk chocolate, minimum 40% cocoa solids
- 30g/1oz single cream
- 1–2 tbsp milk (optional)
- 1–2 tsp sugar (optional)
For the raspberry coulis
- 250g/9oz raspberries
- 4 tbsp icing sugar
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp soft light brown sugar (optional)
To decorate
- 9 whole raspberries
- 50g/1¾oz good- quality dark chocolate
Method
To make the brownies, preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Grease a 20cm/8in square baking tin with the butter.
Melt the butter and chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water. (Do not allow the base of the bowl to touch the water.) Whisk the eggs and vanilla extract in a small bowl and stir into the chocolate mixture.
Mix the sugar, flour and salt into the chocolate mixture and spoon into the prepared baking tin. Bake for 25 minutes. Leave the brownies to cool in the tin, then cut into nine squares.
Meanwhile, for the cream cheese filling, place the icing sugar and double cream in a bowl and whip until it becomes thick enough to hold its shape. Fold in the cream cheese. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm/½in plain nozzle.
For the chocolate sauce, melt the butter and chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water. (Do not allow the base of the bowl to touch the water.) Bring the cream to the boil in a small saucepan. Stir the cream into the melted chocolate mixture. Add the milk, if the sauce is too thick, and sweeten with the sugar, if preferred.
For the raspberry coulis, place the raspberries, icing sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5–10 minutes, stirring regularly, until the raspberries have broken down. Blitz the raspberry mixture in a blender or food processor until smooth. Pass the mixture through a sieve to remove any seeds. Sweeten with the sugar, if preferred.
To assemble the first trifle, take a brownie square and cut it into eight squares. Crumble a brownie quarter into the base of a dessert glass. Add 2 tablespoons of chocolate sauce to the glass and smooth the surface. Pipe a swirl of cream cheese filling over the top that is approximately 1cm/½in deep. Crumble another brownie quarter on top. Add 1½ tablespoons of raspberry coulis and smooth the surface. Top with 2 tablespoons of chocolate sauce, smooth the surface and pipe a final layer of cream cheese. Crumble the remaining brownie quarters over the top of the trifle and decorate with a raspberry. Drizzle some more chocolate sauce on top. Using a potato peeler, grate some dark chocolate curls over the dessert. Repeat with the other eight trifles and serve immediately.