Tiramisu Brownies

Combining the best of both worlds, this heavenly dinner time dessert by Paula from Enjoy Dessert has a rich brownie base layered with coffee soaked ladyfinger biscuits and fluffy mascarpone cream. Brownies have been on my baking list for more times than I care to remember and tiramisu is something I no longer need a recipe for, yet I have never paused to give a thought about how these two will pair up until they became famous on food blogs. The subtle coffee kick nicely offsets the intensity of dark chocolate and if you are patient enough to allow the brownie and tiramisu layers to meld together overnight, you will probably thank yourself [and me!] afterwards.

TIRAMISU BROWNIES

For the Brownie Layer

200g dark chocolate

150g unsalted butter

150g caster sugar

30g cocoa powder

3 large eggs, room temperature

50 ml whipping cream

1 teaspoon coffee

1 teaspoon amaretto

100g all purpose flour

Pinch of table salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

For the Tiramisu Layer

200g mascarpone

2 large eggs, separated

Pinch of table salt

60g caster sugar

80 ml strong coffee

10 ml rum, optional

1 teaspoon amaretto

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

20-25 ladyfinger biscuits

50g dark chocolate, melted

Method:

• For the brownie, melt the chocolate along with butter over low heat in a thick bottomed saucepan.

• When the mixture is homogeneous, remove it from heat, add sugar and cocoa and mix thoroughly.

• Combine the all purpose flour with baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl and set this aside.

• Add eggs, one at a time, to the chocolate mixture and mix well after each addition. Then add cream.

• Stir in amaretto and coffee. Carefully fold in flour mixture till no flour streaks remain. Do not over mix.

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees and line a 20×20 cm baking tray with parchment paper. Pour in batter.

• Level the surface with a spatula and bake for 20 to 23 minutes. Check for doneness with a toothpick.

• Remove cake from oven and let it cool in pan. Prepare coffee for soaking biscuits and leave to cool.

• Add rum, amaretto and vanilla extract to cooled coffee. For the tiramisu layer, beat the mascarpone.

• Beat egg yolks with sugar until they turn white in color and doubled in volume. Fold into mascarpone.

• Beat egg whites with salt until stiff and carefully fold into mascarpone cream and chill for 30 minutes.

• For the assembly, dip ladyfinger biscuits in coffee mixture and arrange neatly over the brownie layer.

• Spoon mascarpone cream over biscuits, chill for few minutes. Melt dark chocolate over a bain marie.

• Bring to room temperature so that it is still fluid. Drop teaspoons of the chocolate over mascarpone.

• Run a knife lightly over cream to give marbled effect and return cake to refrigerator. Chill overnight.

• Dust the tiramisu brownies with extra cocoa powder. Cut into squares and serve. Makes 20 servings.

Tiramisu Brownies