Chestnut Brownies

5 from 3 votes

These Chestnut Brownies are dark fudgy and deliciously nutty. An easy festive brownie which is topped with an incredibly light whipped chestnut ganache.

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Resting Time1

Total Time2

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: British

Servings: brownies

Calories: 479kcal

Author: Georgina Hartley

Ingredients

100 g dark chocolate
150 g unsalted butter
150 g caster sugar
150 g soft light brown sugar
180 g chestnut flour
60 g cocoa powder
½ teaspoon salt
3 eggs lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chestnut Ganache

150 g dark chocolate
¼ teaspoon salt
200 g whipping cream
2 teaspoons soft light brown sugar
150 g chestnut puree
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas mark 4 and line and grease an 8 inch square cake tin.
Melt the dark chocolate with the butter in a bain marie or a glass bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Once melted remove from the heat.
In a separate bowl sift together the sugars with the chestnut flour, cocoa powder and salt.
Pour the melted chocolate into the bowl and mix well with the dry ingredients.
Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract until completely combined.
Pour the brownie mixture into the pan and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and leave the brownies to cool in the tin.
Once the brownies are cool, remove from the tin.
Line the tin with a two sheets of cling film criss- crossed along the bottom and up the sides of the tin.
Place the uncut brownie back into the tin on top of the cling film. Then prepare the ganache.

Chestnut Ganache

Chop the dark chocolate into small pieces, put into a large bowl with the salt and set aside.
Pour the cream and sugar into a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Stir through to make sure all the sugar is dissolved. Rest for 1 minute so as not to scorch the chocolate.
Pour the cream over the chocolate pieces and salt and stir together so the chocolate melts completely into the cream and turns thick and glossy.
Pour the chocolate cream, the chestnut puree and the vanilla into a blender and mix until the ganache is thick and completely smooth.
Pour the ganache on top of the brownie base in the tin, swirling lightly with a palette knife so the ganache is evenly spread.
Place in the freezer for 15 minutes for the ganache to set.
Remove from the freezer. Lift the brownie out of the tin using the cling film. Peel the cling film away from the bottom of the brownie and cut into even pieces.

Notes

I always use medium eggs in my recipes
I have used both 70% and 54% dark chocolate for these brownies and both work well so use whichever percentage dark chocolate you have to hand.
Always sieve brown sugar and cocoa powder – both have a tendency to clump.
You can use double or heavy cream in the ganache if you can't find whipping cream. Whipping cream is a little lighter which is why I prefer it but any cream here will do the job.
I use Merchant Gourmet's Chestnut Puree which is usually on offer in most supermarkets at this time of the year.
You do need to blend the ganache so that the chestnut puree is incorporated as smoothly as possible.
Keep these brownies in the fridge otherwise the ganache might spoil. They keep for up to 3 days.

Nutrition