Chefs' Recipes

Colin Fassnidge's beetroot brownies with ginger crème fraîche

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for beetroot brownies with ginger crème fraîche by Colin Fassnidge.

By Colin Fassnidge
  • 15 mins preparation
  • 45 mins cooking plus cooling
  • Serves 12
  • Print
    Print
Beetroot brownies with ginger crème fraîche

Ingredients

  • 150 gm hazelnuts
  • 450 gm caster sugar
  • 4 eggs, at room temperature
  • 170 gm plain flour
  • 115 gm Dutch-process cocoa powder, sieved
  • 250 gm butter, melted
  • Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean
  • 200 gm grated beetroot, plus extra to serve
  • 400 gm dark chocolate (66% cocoa solids), finely chopped
Ginger crème fraîche
  • 150 gm crème fraîche
  • 10 gm glacé ginger, thinly sliced
  • Seeds scraped from ¼ vanilla bean

Method

Main
  • 1
    Preheat oven to 160C. Roast hazelnuts on a baking tray until golden (5-6 minutes), then rub in a tea towel to remove skins, coarsely chop and set aside.
  • 2
    Combine sugar and eggs in an electric mixer and beat until mixture holds a ribbon (4-5 minutes).
  • 3
    Sieve flour and cocoa together into a bowl, then add melted butter and vanilla seeds, and whisk. Fold in egg mixture, then fold in hazelnuts, grated beetroot, chocolate and 1 tsp salt.
  • 4
    Spread into a 20cm x 30cm (3cm deep) greased lamington pan lined with baking paper (extend paper at least 5cm over the side to make removing the brownie easier). Bake until a knife comes out dry when brownie is pierced (40-45 minutes). Cool and cut into 5cm squares, then store in an airtight container until required.
  • 5
    For ginger crème fraîche, whisk crème fraîche with the ginger and vanilla seeds, add glacé ginger, combine, then transfer to a serving bowl.
  • 6
    To serve, heat brownies in a 180C oven (6 minutes) and serve warm topped with grated beetroot, and ginger crème fraîche to the side.

Notes

Drink Suggestion: Pedro Ximénez Sherry. Drink suggestion by Oliver Tucker