Vegan Orange Cream Brownies

• annokset: 8 servings
• aktiivinen aika: 10 minutes
• kokonaisaika: 2 hours

Ainekset

60g of cocoa powder

180g of plain / all purpose flour

170g of dairy-free dark chocolate

110g of dairy-free butter (block)

120ml of aquafaba (chickpea brine)

280g of caster sugar

2 teaspoons of orange extract / flavouring

1 large orange (zest)

115g 0f dairy-free butter (block)

110ml of dairy-free whipping cream (I use The Coconut Collaborative Double Cream)

2 teaspoons of orange extract / orange flavouring

245g of icing sugar

Orange food gel

100g of dairy-free dark chocolate

60ml of dairy-free cream

Vegan chocolate orange segments (the brand ‘Buttermilk’)

Ohjeet

Method (brownie)

Line a 9×9 loose base / square baking tin with grease proof paper and pre-heat oven to 180°C fan. Set aside.

Sift the cocoa powder and flour together in a medium bowl.

Fill a small saucepan 1/4 full with water and place on the hob over medium heat. Add the dairy-free chocolate and butter into a heat proof bowl. Place the bowl over the pan, creating a bain-marie. Allow the chocolate and butter to melt together, stirring with a heat proof spatula. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes while you make prepare the aquafaba.

Add the aquafaba and sugar into a medium sized mixing bowl and whip up on high speed for around 5 minutes until thick and glossy. I use a stand mixer with balloon whisk attachment. A electric hand whisk will work great too. The aquafaba mixture should be thick enough that when it drips into the bowl, the mixture should ribbon off the mixer.

Pour the melted butter / chocolate over the aquafaba, and carefully fold together with a spatula along with the orange flavour and orange zest. Make sure to be very gentle with this step as you want to keep as much air in the mixture as possible.

Once combined, sift in the flour and cocoa powder. Again, fold this in with a spatula until a rich and thick brownie batter forms.

Pour the brownie batter into the lined tin and level off with an off set spatula

Place the tin into the middle of the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes.

Once baked, remove the tin from the oven and allow to cool fully on a wire rack. TIP: Keep the brownie in the tin while it’s cooling. This will help it keeps it’s shape and will also lock in some of the moisture, which will help with the chewy texture.

Method (orange cream)

In a large mixing bowl, add in the dairy-free butter and whip until creamy. I use a stand mixer with a balloon whisk attachment, a hand mixer will work great too. Once pale and fluffy, add in the whipping cream, orange flavour, icing sugar and drop of orange food gel, whip on high speed for at least 10 minutes until it turns light and creamy. If it feels too soft, just add in more icing sugar until it’s thick and creamy.

Spoon the orange cream over the cold brownie base, level out with a spoon or spatula. Place into the fridge for 30 minutes to set. You can also place in the freezer to speed up the process.

Method (ganache)

Place the chocolate into a heat-proof bowl. Fill a small saucepan 1/4 with water and place over the hob on a low / medium heat. Place the bowl on-top to create a bain-marie. Melt the chocolate. Pour in the dairy-free cream and whip until smooth.

Pour the ganache over the top of the brownie, use a spoon or off set spatula to spread it out. While the ganache is wet, place on the chocolate orange segments and a grating of fresh orange zest (optional).

Place into the fridge for 10-15 minutes to set the ganache.

Lift the brownies out of the tin using the overhangs of grease proof paper, and place on a board.

Heat a sharp knife in some warm water then slice into bars.

Serve and enjoy.