Poached Pear & Macadamia Brownies
Brownies are brilliant on their own, but poached pears and macadamias? Now we're talking. This is one of my favourite ways to take something already delicious and just nudge it into something a little bit special. A simple pimped brownie that looks and tastes like you put in way more effort than you actually did.
Grab your poached pears from my recipe and the rest practically takes care of itself.Makes: 16 squares | Tin: 20x20cm
Ingredients
300g brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
200g unsalted butter
200g dark chocolate, chopped
125g plain flour
2 poached pears, halved and fanned
100g macadamia nuts, roughly chopped
50g dark chocolate chips
Method
Preheat your oven to 160°C fan (180°C conventional). Grease and line a 20x20cm tin with baking paper.
In a stand mixer or large bowl, beat the brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract on high speed for 5 minutes until pale and fluffy.
Melt the butter and chopped chocolate together in a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, stirring until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
Fold the melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture, being careful not to knock out too much air.
Sift in the flour and fold until just combined, don't overmix.
Pour the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top.
Halve your poached pears and slice thinly to fan them out, then arrange on top of the batter, pressing in gently.
Scatter the chopped macadamias and chocolate chips over the top.
Bake at 170°C fan for 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Allow to cool completely in the tin before slicing into squares.
Elliot's Tips
The 5 minute beat is non negotiable. This is what gives brownies that signature crinkly, glossy top. Don't rush it.
Cool your chocolate before folding. If the melted butter and chocolate is too hot when it hits the eggs it will scramble them. Give it a few minutes off the heat first.
Pat the pears dry before placing. Poached pears hold a lot of moisture a gentle pat with a paper towel before they go on top prevents them making the batter too wet underneath.
Fan the pears generously. The more you fan them out the more surface area you get, which means more caramelisation on top and a stunning finish when sliced.
These are even better the next day. The chocolate deepens and the pear settles into the brownie beautifully overnight. If you can wait, do.