The recipe for Spicy Brownies

Today we present the classic chocolate dessert of American cuisine, brownie or brownies, (plural because it should generally be served cut into small squares, then more than one per serving).

This recipe is personalized by our friend Elisa Giannini, who as usual astonishes us with her imagination and creativity. The addition of Sichuan pepper, the aroma of almonds and orange, make these brownies an irresistible sweet.

ricetta brownies

Ricetta Brownies

Ingredients
180 g of flour (I used Senatore Cappelli)
130 g of butter
2 eggs
100 g of raw cane sugar
250 g of dark chocolate to melt
2 tablespoons of bitter chocolate powder
½ teaspoon of Sichuan pepper (it is not pungent like black pepper and after the spicy, has a light lemon flavor)
2 tablespoons of maple syrup
Grated rind of an untreated orange
Almond extract
2 tablespoons of rum
1 pinch of salt
½ sachet of yeast
170 g of walnuts and almonds and hazelnuts cut in coarsely chunks

Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie with the butter, then add the sugar and mix until the consistency is not homogeneous (you need a little patience do not be afraid) … let it cool down.

Combine the rum, almond extract, maple syrup, salt, pepper, orange zest and mix again.

Combine the eggs

Sift flour, baking powder and chocolate separately and add to the mixture, taking care to mix well, adding the powders a little at a time.

Once you have obtained a creamy and homogeneous mixture, add the dried fruit into small pieces and pour it into a rectangular pan lined with parchment paper (then having to cut the squared brownies the rectangular pan allows you to have no waste).

Bake at 180º C for about 30 minutes.

Elisa’s advice:

Remember …… when you cut the squares you will notice that you have many “crumbs” left in the pan …. Use them in the oven to get a delicious crumble to serve in single portions on a cream. For me it is excellent to combine with this recipe Lemon and mascarpone cream.

Brownies e crema

Brownies e crema

Chocolate and avocado mousse – Vegan and Gluten free

Years ago the avocado for those who did not live in tropical countries was an almost unknown fruit. In recent times having regard to the request, the production and commercialization has spread. Besides, now they are also produced in Sicily, but not all year, still you can also buy them in many stores in Italy. The key issue is to use them in the right moment of ripeness. Usually they still buy a little ‘sour and left to ripen until the right time. To speed up the ripening you can be left at room temperature in a paper bag.

We probably knew before the Guacamoleand then the avocado. Avocado is also great for making desserts and replace the butter some recipes.

Chocolate and avocado mousse - Vegan and Gluten free

Chocolate and avocado mousse – Vegan and Gluten free

For dessert, the chocolate mousse and avocado is easy and quick to prepare.You can combine the mousse to other ingredients and present it in various ways.In this recipe, we combined it with other tropical fruits: mango, banana, macadamia and passion fruit, … but you can use your own imagination and indulge yourself!

Ingredients for 4 people

2 ripe avocados

50 g agave syrup

30 g cocoa powder

2 g ground cinnamon

Wash avocados. With a sharp knife, cut the avocados kernel, then rotate the blade around the kernel to be able to divide in half.

To easily remove the kernel hit him with the knife blade and do a little twist.

At this point with a spoon extract all the pulp.

Put the pulp in a blender and operate for a few seconds until creamy.

Add cocoa, cinnamon and agave syrup and operate a few more seconds.

The cream is ready.

This you can present by filling the jars or glasses with the help of a pastry bag, or you can use to fill a cake, or deserts.

In the image, we served with mango, cut into small cubes, passion fruit, macadamia and banana, for a healthy sweet and everything tropical.

Squacquerone Cheesecake, White Chocolate, Strawberries, Balsamico and Saba

Qualche settimana fa abbiamo visto come sostituire il burro nelle ricette. Nella golosa ricetta di oggi, proposta gentilmente dalla nostra amica Elisa Giannini, un po’ di burro c’è,… in tutti i casi, come abbiamo già detto basta non esagerare!

Vediamo come Elisa ha preparato questa ricetta: Cheesecake Squacquerone, Cioccolato bianco, Fragole, Balsamico e Saba
ricetta-cheesecake

Ingredienti per la base:
1 confezione di biscotti di riso sbriciolati a mano (non nel mixer) lavorati con
80 g di burro
1 cucchiaio di rum
pepe di Sechuan
foglioline di timo cedrino
Saba
Aceto balsamico
150 g cioccolato bianco

Sciogliere il burro a bagnomaria. Unire i biscotti, il rum, il pepe e il timo cedrino. stendere l’impasto così ottenuto in una tortiera.
Versare sulla base ancora tiepida (grazie al burro caldo) la saba (mosto d’uva cotto) e un cucchiaino di aceto balsamico invecchiato (quindi dolce e molto profumato). La quantità deve essere minina per non eccedere con profumi e sapori.
Fondere il cioccolato bianco a bagnomaria e stenderlo su carta forno, formando un cerchio della dimensione della base del cheese cake. Farlo raffreddare in frigorifero, staccarlo dalla carta e posizionarlo sulla base di biscotti.
Lasciare riposare tutto in frigorifero.

Ingredienti per la crema:
750 g squacquerone
500 g mascarpone
250 g ricotta
3 uova
4 cucchiai di zucchero

Frullare tutti gli ingredienti fino ad ottenere una crema liscia. Versare sulla base di biscotti freddissima.
Cuocere in forno ventilato 180ºC per circa 45 minuti.
Lasciare raffreddare e servire il cheesecake con fragole fresche insaporite con lime, saba e balsamico.