Saturday, 8 March 2014

Stacey's Beetroot and Goat's Cheese Brownies

For "Mad March", I wanted to bake something a little on the unusual side, so when I saw a photo of "goat's cheese brownies" on buzzfeed, I knew that had to be it. The only problem was that it ended up turning out that goat's cheese brownies were not that mad at all... when I searched for recipes 100's came up! Apparently goat's cheese brownies are pretty big in the USA! So, how could I make my brownies even madder? By adding beetroot. Yummy, lovely beetroot.



This is a brownie of three layers. I used my usual brownie recipe for the chocolate layer, and took inspiration for the goat's cheese layer and the beetroot layer here and here (respectively). I started mine with the chocolate layer, then goat's cheese, and then beetroot. Next time I make them, I'll do the beetroot layer first, as that batter is much thicker than the other two and needed spreading with a spoon, whereas the chocolate and cheese layers could just be poured. I've typed the instructions below as if the beetroot layer went in first, because I think you'll find it much easier to do that way!


I've provided below all of the ingredients you need to make all three layers, so this will work as a sort of shopping list. But, to make it easier to read and to tell what goes where, I've split ingredients by layer in the method below. I hope this makes sense!

Ingredients
175g cooked beetroot
35ml vegetable oil
100g dark chocolate
3 medium eggs
50g caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
100g self raising flour
50g cocoa powder
150g soft goat's cheese
30g honey
55g margarine
110g muscovado sugar

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Makes: 25 brownies

  • Preheat the oven to 180 and line a brownie tin with baking paper
  • Start with the beetroot layer: 

For the beetroot layer:
175g cooked beetroot
35ml vegetable oil
100g dark chocolate
1 egg
50g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
45g self raising flour
25g cocoa powder

  • Put the beetroot and the oil into a blender and blend to a fine paste. Add the chocolate and blend until the chocolate is in very small chunks. Put this mixture to one side.
  • Pop the egg, sugar and vanilla extract into a mixing bowl and whisk until pale and foamy. Add the beetroot mixture, flour and cocoa powder to the bowl and fold into the eggs until all combined.
  • Pour the mixture into your prepared tin and spread level with the back of a spoon. Pop the brownie tin to one side whilst you prepare the cheese layer:

For the cheese layer:
150g soft goat's cheese
1 egg
30g honey
20g self raising flour
  • Put all of the ingredients into a bowl and whisk until smooth. Carefully pour the mixture over the beetroot layer and put to one side.
  • Prepare your chocolate layer:

For the chocolate layer:
55g margarine
25g cocoa powder
1 egg
110g muscovado sugar
1tsp vanilla extract
35g self raising flour
  • Melt the margarine, either in the microwave or in a pan over a low heat. Stir in the cocoa powder, and put this to one side to cool for a few minutes.
  • Put the egg, sugar and vanilla extract into a mixing bowl and whisk until pale and foamy. You'd be surprised - even brown sugar goes pale when whisked!
  • Fold in the cocoa mixture and the flour until this combines to a smooth, runny batter.
  • Pour the batter very carefully over the goats cheese layer in the brownie tin, making sure to cover all of the goats cheese mixture.
  • Pop the brownies into the over for 40 minutes. The brownies should feel "set" when you press them likely - that's how you know they will be cooked but still fudgey.
  • Allow the brownies to cool in the tin before turning out onto a chopping board and cutting into 25 squares.
  • Eat one, and be amazed at the marvellous combination of taste and texture!


March - Mad as a March Hare!

For this month's meeting, we decided to embrace all things MAD. Baker's were invited to come up with something a little bit topsy turvey - and they delivered!

We had a savoury layer cake from Gemma, and sweet sushi from Joy. Sally brought some inside-out carrot cake muffins, Laura S offered up some cookies made with chickpeas, I baked beetroot and goat's cheese brownies, Tom made us some dinosaur cookies which we had to construct ourselves, and Aileen's peppermint cupcakes were mad as a box of frogs!


We're all mad here...