Phil Vickery's gooey chocolate brownies and decadent chocolate mousse
Waste not, want not! If you’ve been left with an abundance of Easter chocolate and want to use it all up, then Phil Vickery has just the solution. He’s in the kitchen with some baking inspiration, making his gooey chocolate brownies and decadent chocolate mousse.
Easy chocolate mousse
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
350g bitter chocolate (70%), broken into small pieces and melted
2 whole medium eggs
2 medium egg yolks
550ml whipping cream, lightly whipped
For the topping:
225ml whipping cream
2-3 tbsp icing sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
cocoa powder or drinking chocolate
chocolate scrolls or shortbread
Method
1. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and melt over a pan of gently simmering water.
2. Whisk the egg yolks and whole eggs over a pan of gently simmering water until thick and cooked, about 15 minutes, no need to go mad just get some volume. Remove from the pan and whisk for a couple of minutes.
3. The melted chocolate needs to be warm but not too hot – this is the important stage, pour the whisked egg mixture into the hot melted chocolate and whisk well and very quickly, you can be quite brutal here.
4. The mixture will look as though it is starting to split but persevere, then when the mix is half incorporated, add half the cream, again quickly and whisk well. The reason you have to be a bit sharpish here is the temperature of the cold cream will set the chocolate and egg very quickly indeed.
5. You should end up with a very smooth texture, panic over, finally whisk in the rest of the cream.
6. Pour or spoon into a bowl or individual glasses, leaving a 2cm gap, cover and chill overnight.
7. To finish, lightly whisk the whipping cream with the vanilla and icing sugar.
8. Spoon onto the glasses and smooth off with a pallete knife leaving it perfectly flat.
9. Dust with cocoa or drinking chocolate and serve with chocolate scrolls and shortbread.
Chocolate and hazelnut brownies
Makes 9 brownies
Ingredients
175g salted butter, cubed
250g milk chocolate
1 heaped tsp coffee granules
300g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
3 medium eggs, lightly beaten
325g castor sugar
few drops of vanilla extract
2 pinches salt
175g toasted hazelnuts, crushed
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180° C, Gas 4. Brush a 23cm square baking dish with melted butter.
2. Place the butter, chocolate and coffee into a heatproof bowl and melt over a pan of gently simmering water.
3. Sift the flour and baking powder together.
4. Beat the eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt at high speed for about 2 minutes, add the melted chocolate mixture slowly and mix well.
5. Finally add the flour, baking powder, salt and crushed hazelnuts and mix slowly until incorporated. Do not overwork.
6. Pour into the prepared baking dish and bake in the pre heated oven for about 45-50 minutes or until risen and set. When a knife is inserted the blade should come out very slightly uncooked. The brownie should be very moist and soft.
7. Cool, then turn out, cut into small squares and dust heavily with icing sugar. These can then be re heated gently in a microwave or eaten cold.
8. Serve with fudge sauce and ice cream or thick double cream.