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Chocolate Brownies Recipe

Ingredients:
250 g unsalted butter
200 g good-quality dark chocolate
(70% cocoa solids), broken up
75 g dried sour cherries, optional
50 g chopped nuts, optional
80 g cocoa powder, sifted
65 g plain flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
360 g caster sugar
4 large free-range eggs
zest of 1 orange, optional
250 ml crme frache, optional

Classic Fondant
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin

1/4 cup cold water

1 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 cup light corn syrup

Procedure:
Preheat your oven to 180C/350F/gas
4. Line a 24cm square baking tin with
greaseproof paper. In a large bowl over
some simmering water, melt the butter
and the chocolate and mix until
smooth. Add the cherries and nuts, if
you're using them, and stir together.
In a separate bowl, mix together the
cocoa powder, flour, baking powder and
sugar, then add this to the chocolate,
cherry and nut mixture. Stir together
well. Beat the eggs and mix in until you
have a silky consistency.
Pour your brownie mix into the baking
tray, and place in the oven for around
25 minutes. You don't want to overcook
them so, unlike cakes, you don't want a
skewer to come out all clean. The
brownies should be slightly springy on
the outside but still gooey in the
middle.
Allow to cool in the tray, then carefully
transfer to a large chopping board and
cut into chunky squares. These make a
fantastic dessert served with a dollop of
crme frache mixed with some orange
zest.

1 tablespoon glycerin

2 lbs powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon white vegetable

shortening
Procedure:
Prepare the gelatin. Sprinkle the
gelatin over cold water in a small bowl and
let it rest for two minutes to soften. Place
the bowl in a microwave for 30 seconds on
high, until the gelatin dissolves.
Add the almond extract, corn syrup
and glycerin. Add these ingredients to
the gelatin mixture and stir until smooth
and clear. If the mixture is not turning
smooth and clear, microwave it for an
additional 15 to 20 seconds on high and
stir again.
Add the sugar. Sift 1-1/2 lbs of the sugar
into a mixing bowl. Make a hole in the
center of the sugar and stir the liquid
mixture into it. Stir with a wooden spoon
until the mixture becomes sticky.
Prepare your work surface. Sift some
of the remaining 1/2 pound of sugar onto a
clean work surface. Any leftover sugar can
be added back into

Knead the fondant. Turn the fondant


onto the powdered work surface and
knead until it forms a smooth, pliable
mass, adding more sugar if necessary. Rub
the vegetable shortening onto your fingers
and continue to knead the fondant,
working the shortening in.

sealed container to stop it from drying out.


The fondant will last for approximately six
days, if kept in the refrigerator.

Wrap the fondant in plastic wrap.


Place the wrapped fondant in a tightly

Homemade Fondant
Ingredients:
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp light corn syrup
Procedure:
1.Prepare your workstation by setting a large baking sheet on a sturdy counter or table top,
and sprinkling it lightly with water.
2. Combine the sugar, water, and corn syrup in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
Stir until the sugar dissolves, then cover the pan and allow the sugar syrup to boil for 2-3
minutes.
3. Remove the lid, and continue to cook the syrup, without stirring, until it reaches 240
degrees Fahrenheit (115 C).
4. Pour the sugar syrup onto the prepared baking sheet. Allow it to sit at room temperature
for several minutes. After 2-3 minutes, lightly touch the syrup with a fingertip. When it is
warm but not hot, it is ready to be worked.
5. Dampen a metal spatula or dough scraper with water, and use the scraper to push the syrup
into a pile in the middle of the sheet.
6. Using a dampened plastic spatula or wooden spoon, begin to cream, or work, the
fondant in a figure-8 pattern. Continually scrape the fondant into the center, draw a figure-8,
then scrape it together again. At first the fondant will be very clear and fluid, but it will
gradually become more opaque and creamy. After 5-10 minutes, the fondant will become
very stiff, crumbly, and hard to manipulate.
7. Once the fondant reaches this state, moisten your hands and begin kneading it into a ball
like bread dough. As you knead, the fondant will begin to come together and will get softer
and smoother. Stop kneading once your fondant is a smooth ball without lumps.
8. At this point, your fondant can be used for melting and pouring. If you want to make
flavored fondant candies, it is best to ripen your fondant for at least 12 hours to obtain the
best flavor and texture. To ripen the fondant, place it in an airtight plastic container, press
plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the fondant, and seal the lid on tightly. Ripen the
fondant at room temperature, or if it is hot, in the refrigerator. After ripening, the fondant can
be flavored, rolled, and shaped in whatever manner you wish. If it is stiff, you can always
knead it by hand on a surface dusted with powdered sugar, until it is easy to manage. This
recipe produces about 3/4 lb fondant.

Compilation of Baking
and Pastry Production

Personal Property of Diana Iglesias Escropolo

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