Brownie mini-cake with Pistachio Praline Cream and Rainier Cherries

These mini cakes are an impressive combination between heavy brownie base, light and nutty pistachio praline and fresh and juicy rainier cherries. 



I used Irina's recipe for the brownies. I found her website a while ago and fell in love with her ambitious perfectionism and artistic skills. She is quite a collector of teasing recipes. I guess, we fall for similar baking products and confections. 

for the Brownie Base:

45 g unsalted butter
85 g dark chocolate
100g brown sugar

45 g flour
20 g Dutch processed cocoa powder
pinch of salt

4 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C.
2. Butter 7 of the cavities of a whoopee-pie pan. Sift some cocoa powder.
3. Place the butter and chocolate together in a heavy bottomed pan over a low heat.
4. Add the sugar and stir to melt. Add the egg.
5. Add the milk and vanilla extract. Stir to combine well.
6. Sift over the flour, cocoa and salt. Stir.
7. Distribute the batter into the cavities and bake for 10 min. Do not let the brownies to dry out.
8. Place on a wire rack to cool.


for the Pistachio Praline Cream:

500 ml milk
6 egg yolks
125 g sugar
50 g cornstarch
10 g flour
50 g butter
4g vanilla extract

4 g gelatin sheet

30 g pistachio paste

100 g butter
40 g hazelnut nougatine crashed

Prepare the Pastry Cream first:

1. Soak the gelatin sheet in cold water.
2. Heat the milk, but without bringing to boil.
3. Whip the egg yolks with the sugar, corn starch and flour. Add half of the milk, whisking continuously to dissolve the sugar. Pour the egg mixture back to the pan with the rest of the milk. Place over a bain marie and stir until the cream thickens. Add the butter and vanilla extract, after the pot is away from the heat.
4. Add the gelatin to the hot cream, discarding the water. Stir to dissolve.
5. Add the pistachio paste and place in a bowl of a self-standing mixer. Beat the cream with the paddle attachment to cool to ambient temperature.
6. Whip the butter and hazelnut nougatine to soft peaks. Fold in the pastry cream. Cover with cling foil and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.


Tailoring:

1. Place the brownie on a serving dish as a base.
2. Pipe some of the pistachio praline cream on top of each brownie.
3. Cut the cherries in half and arrange the around the piped cream.
4. Cover with caramelized hazelnuts and crushed nougatine.
5. Serve cold. Store in a refrigerator.



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