Easterextra!
THE BIG FAMILY FEAST, LAZY PICNIC & CLASSIC BRAAI
1. THE ALL-TIME CLASSIC
“The only way I can improve on one of these is when I sneak the almost empty Nutella jar from the cupboard before anyone else gets to it, add hot milk to the jar and shake it up for the best ever hot chocolate to go with the brownie. But a great cup of coffee will do, too.”
THE FUDGIEST BROWNIES
Makes 20
EASY
GREAT VALUE Preparation: 15 minutes Baking: 20–25 minutes
butter 240 g, melted and cooled vegetable oil 2T sugar 250 g light brown sugar 200 g free-range eggs 4 vanilla paste 1T flour 120 g salt 1t good-quality cocoa 100 g dark chocolate 200 g, chopped
1 Preheat the oven to 170°C and lightly grease a 20 x 20 cm baking tin and line with baking paper. 2 Combine the melted butter, oil and sugar in a mixing bowl. Whisk well to combine. Add the eggs and vanilla, then beat until light and fluffy.
Sift the flour, salt and cocoa powder and fold into the wet ingredients until just combined. Fold in ¾ of the chocolate. 3 Pour the batter into prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula, and top with the remaining chocolate. 4 Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until slightly fudgy but set. Allow to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before slicing into squares.
2. THE ROCKY ROAD VARIATION
“So you do have to bake it for an hour, but children and grown-ups alike will find it worth the wait. We left out the traditional nuts you’ll find in the usual rocky road, but feel free to add 50 g chopped pecans if you like.”
COCONUT MARSHMALLOWTOPPED MOLTEN SLAB
Makes 25
EASY
GREAT VALUE Preparation: 10 minutes Baking: 1 hour
flour 150 g good-quality cocoa 75 g brown sugar 130 g caster sugar 290 g butter 175 g, melted and cooled vanilla paste 1t free-range eggs 3 coconut marshmallows 150 g
1 Preheat oven to 180°C, lightly grease a 20 x 20 cm baking tin and line with baking paper. 2 Place all the ingredients except the marshmallows in a bowl and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 50 minutes, or until just set.
3 Heat the oven’s grill. Place the coconut marshmallows on top of the brownies and grill for a few minutes until golden and melted. Allow to cool slightly in the tin before slicing into squares.
3. THE CUPCAKE CROWD-PLEASER
“This is the ultimate chocolate cupcake: packed with nuts, melty on the inside and topped with condensed-milk ganache. Great for picnics, bake sales, taking to afternoon tea, and even your next birthday at the office.”
CHOCOLATE CHUNK BROWNIE CUPCAKES
Makes 12
EASY
GREAT VALUE Preparation: 20 minutes Baking: 20 minutes
flour 150 g good-quality cocoa 75 g brown sugar 130 g caster sugar 290 g butter 175 g, melted and cooled vanilla paste 1t free-range eggs 3 macadamia nuts 100 g, roughly chopped
For the ganache: milk chocolate 200 g dark chocolate 100 g condensed milk 1 x 385 g can 1 Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a 12-hole muffin pan with cupcake holders. Place the flour, cocoa, brown and caster sugar, butter, vanilla paste and eggs into a large mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. 2 Add the macadamia nuts and fold through. Spoon the mixture into the cupcake holders, filling them threequarters of the way. 3 Bake for 20 minutes, or until cooked through but fudgy in the centre. 4 To make the ganache, melt the chocolate over a saucepan of simmering water. Fold through the condensed milk, then spread onto the cupcakes.
4. THE MILK TART-INSPIRED BROWNIE SLICE
“It has the familiar base and smooth, creamy filling of a milk tart but with the deep, chocolatey heart of a brownie. If you can resist it for long enough to let it cool down (and you must!), you’re a really strong person.”
BROWNIE MILK TART
Makes 30
EASY
GREAT VALUE
Preparation: 20 minutes, plus 30 minutes’ chilling time Baking: 25 minutes
For the crust: chocolate digestive biscuits
2 x 200 g packets, crushed butter 150 g, melted and cooled cream 6T
For the filling:
70% dark chocolate 250 g butter 180 g free-range eggs 4 sugar 330 g flour 70 g cocoa 40 g salt 1t cream ½ cup, slightly heated
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease a 24 x 34 x 5 cm baking tray with butter. To make the crust, combine all the ingredients in a bowl. If the mixture doesn’t hold its shape when pressed together, add more butter until it does. Lightly wet your hands and press the crust into the bottom and up the sides of the baking tin, covering them completely. Chill for 30 minutes. 2 To make the filling, heat the chocolate and butter in the microwave for 1 minute, stirring until melted, glossy and smooth. Alternatively, heat over a saucepan of simmering water. 3 Whisk the eggs and sugar together until fluffy and pale yellow. Add the chocolate-and-butter mixture and whisk until well combined.
4 Sift the flour, cocoa and salt. Fold through the mixture until well incorporated. 5 Pour in the warm cream and fold through the mixture. Pour the mixture into the baking tray, smooth using a spatula and bake for 25 minutes, or until set.
It has the familiar base and creamy filling of a milk tart but with the chocolatey heart
of a brownie”
– Abigail Donnelly
If you can resist it for long enough to let it cool down (and you must!), you’re a really
strong person”
– Abigail Donnelly
5. THE EVERYTHING-BUTGLUTEN VERSION
“The coconut-almond-pecan-honey-mintcaramel chocolate brownie™ has just been invented. And it happens to be free from gluten, too. (Insert angel emoji here.)”
GLUTEN-FREE ALMONDAND-COCONUT BROWNIES
Makes 16
EASY
GREAT VALUE Preparation: 20 minutes Baking: 30 minutes
honey 2⁄3 cup butter 115 g, melted vanilla paste 1T free-range eggs 3 desiccated coconut 50 g almond flour 60 g good-quality cocoa 40 g pecan nuts 50 g bicarbonate of soda ½t salt ½t
For the ganache: cream ½ cup milk chocolate 200 g, finely chopped mint-flavoured Caramel Treat 1 cup, plus extra to decorate 1 Preheat the oven to 180°C, lightly grease a 20 x 20 cm baking tin and line with baking paper. 2 Using an electric hand mixer, mix the honey, butter, vanilla paste and eggs until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until well combined. Pour into the greased baking tin and bake for 25 minutes, or until set. 3 To make the ganache, place the cream in a saucepan over a medium heat until very warm. Place the chocolate in a bowl, pour over the warm cream and stir gently to incorporate any chocolate from the base of the bowl until well combined and glossy. 4 Remove the brownies from the tin, spread over the chocolate ganache and top with an extra smear of Caramel Treat.
WHEAT- AND GLUTEN-FREE
6. THE BIG BREAKFAST BROWNIE
“It has coffee; it has cornflakes. It’s breakfast! No really – that crunchy topping is not even worth resisting until afternoon tea. You might even be able to convince yourself that you’re being very good by cutting yourself a slice …”
CEREAL CRUNCH BROWNIE CAKE
Serves 16
EASY
GREAT VALUE Preparation: 30 minutes Baking: 40 minutes
butter 225 g milk chocolate 400 g
70% dark chocolate 100 g free-range eggs 3 instant coffee 1½ T vanilla paste 1T sugar 220 g flour 75 g baking powder 2t salt 1t
For the topping: sugar 440 g water ½ cup cream ½ cup butter 50 g cornflakes 3 cups
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease a 20 cm springform cake tin. Place the butter and chocolate in a saucepan and melt over a low heat, stirring often so that the chocolate doesn’t burn. Once melted, allow to cool slightly. 2 In a large bowl, mix the eggs, instant coffee, vanilla paste and sugar. Stir the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture until well combined. Sift the dry ingredients into the chocolate mixture and fold in. 3 Pour the mixture into the cake tin. Bake for 20–30 minutes, or until set in the middle. 4 To make the topping, place the sugar and water in a medium saucepan over a low heat and stir, brushing any sugar crystals from the sides of the pan using a wet pastry brush. When the sugar has dissolved, increase the heat to high, bring to the boil and cook, without stirring, for 8–10 minutes, or until golden. 5 Carefully add the cream and butter and stir until well combined. Stir through the cornflakes and pour the mixture over the brownies. Set aside for 30 minutes, or until almost set, before removing from the tin.
7. THE CONNOISSEUR’S CHOICE
“I decided that marzipan sandwiched between two brownie layers wasn’t decadent enough, so I swirled through melted tahini and peanut butter. You know, just because.”
TAHINI-AND-PEANUT BUTTER BROWNIES
Makes 20
EASY
GREAT VALUE Preparation: 20 minutes Baking: 40 minutes
butter 225 g, melted milk chocolate 200 g, chopped dark chocolate 200 g, chopped free-range eggs 4 white sugar 220 g light brown sugar 175 g vanilla paste 1T flour 150 g, sifted smooth peanut butter 125 g tahini 50 g marzipan 250 g, rolled out thinly (optional)
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C and lightly grease a 24 x 34 x 5 cm baking tin and line with baking paper. 2 Place the butter and chocolate in a saucepan over a low heat and stir until melted and smooth. 3 Place the eggs, sugar and vanilla into a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add the chocolate mixture and whisk until smooth. Add the flour and mix until well combined. 4 Place the peanut butter and tahini in a saucepan over a low heat. Cook for 2–3 minutes, or until melted and smooth. 5 Pour half the brownie mixture into the tin, then top with marzipan (roll out onto a surface or baking paper dusted with icing sugar), then top with the remaining brownie mixture. Pour over the melted tahini and peanut butter and swirl through the brownie mixture.
6 Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until slightly fudgy but set. Allow to cool completely in the tin before slicing into squares.