Brownie Pie with Spun Sugar Nest
Ingredients
Brownie Pie
- ½ lb (2 sticks ) unsalted butter, plus extra for buttering the dish
- 4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 cups sugar
- ¾ cup good cocoa powder
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean
Spun Sugar Nests
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 tsp canola oil
- ¼ tsp fresh lemon juice
- 8 tartlet molds
Special Equipment
- 9 x 12 x 2" oval baking dish
- electric mixer
- 3 quart saucepan
- ice cream scoop
How-to
Make the Brownie Pie
- Preheat the oven to 325º. Lightly butter a 2 quart ( 9 x 12 x 2) oval baking dish
- Melt the butter, set aside to cool
- Beat the eggs and sugar on medium high (use paddle attachment for the mixer) for 5-10 minutes until thick and pale yellow. Sift together cocoa powder and flour and set aside
- When the eggs and sugar mixture is ready, switch mixer to low-speed and add the vanilla seeds and cocoa/flour mixture. Mix only until combined. Slowly pour in the cooled butter. Mix again just until combined
- Pour the batter into the oval baking dish and place in a hot water bath so the water comes halfway up the side of the dish and bake for exactly 1 hour. (You can use a cake tester put in 2" from the side – if it comes out ¾ clean, then it is good. The center will be jiggly)
- Allow to cool
Make the Sugar Spun Nests
- Grease the insides of 8 tartlet molds. In a 3 quart sauce pan, whisk together the sugar and lemon juice until the sugar is completely moist
- Add the brandy and mix on low until fully incorporated
- Heat the sugar for 4½ minutes over medium heat, stirring with wire whisk until the sugar turns clear and caramelizes to light brown. Remove from heat and let stand at room temperature for 1 minute
Assemble
- Arrange tartlet pans 3" apart on parchment paper
- Coat a soup spoon with the caramelized sugar, and drizzle over the insides of the pans, spiraling around the mold to create a nest. (Note: You will need 5-6 spoons of the sugar mixture to make one nest.) Allow to harden. Make sure to break away any excess mixture that may land on the top of the molds
- To remove from tartlet molds: hold mold in one hand, and turn the tartlet into other hand, ever so gently
- The nests can be served immediately or kept in a well-sealed plastic container for up to 2 days
- Use an ice cream scoop to scoop out the Brownie Pie, and then assemble with raspberries and pastry cream