Some ingredients naturally go together like cheese and grapes or strawberries and cream. There are others which seem odd but actually work really well.
Adding beetroot to a moist brownie makes a lot of sense. Chocolate is an earthy flavour anyway and the beetroot enhances that but also adds depth and a glossy texture. Dried cranberries could also be added to make this a festive treat. The ‘Mars Bar’ sauce is great for the kids, yet a Mulled wine syrup could also be used.
the honeycomb
Ingredients
| Sugar | 325g |
| Honey | 50g |
| Glucose | 125g |
| Water | 60ml |
| Bicarbonate of soda | 15g |
Method
1. Put the sugar, honey, glucose and water into a sauce pan and boil until caramel colour.
2. Add the bicarbonate of soda and whisk on/off the heat while it puffs up. Pour onto a greased baking sheet and allow to cool. Break into pieces.
Chefs note – Glucose syrup is available from most supermarkets. It adds to the texture of the honeycomb but it can be substituted with extra honey.
The Brownie
The Ingredients
| Unsalted butter (cut into cubes) | 250g |
| Plain chocolate | 250g |
| Caster sugar | 250g |
| Free range eggs | 3 |
| Self-raising flour (sifted) | 150g |
| Cooked and peeled beetroot (grated or pureed) | 250g |
| Vanilla essence |
Method
1. Preheat an oven, 170oC, gas mark 3
2. Lightly grease a baking tray (20cmx30cmx2cm)
3. Line with greaseproof/silicon
4. Melt the butter and chocolate together over a bain marie
5. Whisk the sugar and eggs together until smooth and creamy
6. Stir the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture.
7. Stir in the beetroot (and cranberries if using)and the vanilla
8. Fold in the flour
9. Pour into the prepared tin
10. Bake for 20 – 25mins until a skewer comes out with a few crumbs attached to it.
11. Remove from the oven and leave in the tray until cool enough to cut into portions
the ‘Mars Bar’ sauce
Ingredients
- Mars Bars
- Double cream
Method
1. Melt together and cool down. It’s a simple as that!!
To assemble
Spoon some sauce onto the plate. Top with a portion of brownie and spoonful of double cream. Garnish with shards of honeycomb.
Chefs note – The brownie could be served as a cake for afternoon tea. The honeycomb could be used as a sweet nibble and the Mars Bar sauce could be kept warm and used as a sweet fondue for something like marshmallows or fresh fruit kebabs.
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