BEETROOT, TAHINI AND ALMOND BROWNIES
The seafront Brighton landmark has undergone an amazing renovation
When I worked at Daylesford Organic Farm, the bakery made chocolate brownies that were dark, fudgy and flecked with nuggets of white chocolate. They have been my brownie benchmark ever since, and so when I came to this recipe (beetroot and chocolate being a classic combination I could not omit), I knew mine, too, must be broodingly dark and have those morsels of chocolate hidden within. The result is a grown-up brownie, almost savoury. Good with sour crème fraîche as contrast.
Preparation 25 minutes, plus cooling Cooking 1 hour 35 minutes Makes 9 300G WHOLE, RAW BEETROOTS
175G GOOD DARK CHOCOLATE (AT LEAST 70% COCOA SOLIDS), CHOPPED INTO SMALL CHUNKS
175G BUTTER, CUT INTO CUBES
2 MEDIUM EGGS
85G CASTER SUGAR
70G DEMERARA SUGAR
100G PLAIN FLOUR ½ TSP BAKING POWDER
160G RICH MILK CHOCOLATE (I USE ONE THAT’S 55% COCOA SOLIDS), CHOPPED INTO SMALL CHUNKS
4 TBSP TAHINI
50G WHOLE, BLANCHED ALMONDS, ROUGHLY CHOPPED
1 Preheat the oven to 210°C (190°C fan oven) gas mark 6½. Wrap each beetroot in foil, then put on a baking tray and roast for 1 hour. They will be almost cooked through, but still slightly firm to touch. Unwrap and leave to cool, then peel and grate the beetroots using the coarse side of a box grater. Should they be very watery once grated, squeeze out the excess water and pour away. Set aside.
2 Reduce the oven temperature to 185°C (165°C fan oven) gas mark 4½ and line a square cake tin (roughly 20cm sq) with parchment.
3 Put the dark chocolate and butter into a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (making sure the bottom doesn’t touch the water underneath) and let everything melt together gently, stirring only occasionally. Remove from the heat and leave to cool a little.
4 Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and both sugars together until thick. This will take a good 5 minutes in a freestanding mixer or with an electric whisk. The mix should be thick, ribboning, pale and quadrupled in volume. If you find the odd grain of demerara sugar still floating about, don’t worry – it will dissolve with cooking.
5 Next, add the melted chocolate mixture to the beaten eggs and fold together. Add the flour and baking powder and fold together again. Finally, stir in the milk chocolate chunks and grated beetroot.
6 Pour into the prepared roasting tin or cake tin and level off. Drizzle the top with tahini, swirling it in with a skewer so some stays on the surface and some whirls into the mixture, then scatter over the almonds. Bake for 30-35 minutes. It should be springy and set on top – a skewer inserted into the centre should come out sticky. Remove from the oven and cool in the tin, before turning out and cutting into squares. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days – but you’ll have eaten them before then.
The Grand hotel has pride of place on Brighton’s seafront, with sweeping views across the English Channel. Built in 1864, the building has undergone major cosmetic work in the past fewyears, and is looking good for its age. Bowlerhatted doormen welcome all guests, while a grand staircase spirals through seven floors of plush rooms and suites.
As the grande dame of Brighton, the hotel appeals to everyone from the upper-class gentry, who’ve been visiting for more than 150 years, to younger visitors Instagramming their afternoon tea on the terrace. The Sea View rooms, decorated in breezy blues and creams, have spectacular views along the coast and boast Noble Isle toiletries, Egyptian cotton bedlinen, free Wi-fi and tea and coffee.
The Victoria Lounge’s menu impresses as much as its striking interior (above), and we love the twist on its classic cocktails, which ooze 1920s glamour. A full-service afternoon tea in the glass-covered Victoria Terrace is a real treat, with delicate sandwiches, delicious cakes and fresh scones.