Layered Brownies With White Chocolate Caramel And Cacao Nib Gelato Recipes

LAYERED BROWNIES/WHITE CHOCOLATE CARAMEL/CACAO NIB GELATO

Steps:

• FOR CANDIED PECANS:.
• Lightly butter baking sheet.
• Stir sugar and 1/4 cup water in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until sugar dissolves.
• Increase heat and boil until sugar syrup is light golden, occasionally brushing down sides of skillet with wet pastry brush, about 8 minutes.
• Add pecans and stir until syrup coats pecans, about 1 minute; immediately pour pecans out onto prepared baking sheet; spread in single layer with heatproof spatula.
• Cool completely and coarsely chop nuts.
• *Do Ahead: Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.
• FOR BROWNIES:.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Line 8x8x2-inch metal baking pan with foil; butter foil.
• Combine 1/2 cup butter and bittersweet chocolate in heavy medium saucepan; stir over medium-low heat until melted and smooth.
• Remove from heat; cool slightly.
• Whisk cocoa powder, flour, and salt in small bowl.
• Whisk sugar, eggs, and vanilla in medium bowl to blend.
• Pour butter mixture into sugar mixture; whisk until blended; add cocoa mixture; whisk until blended.
• Transfer brownie batter to prepared baking pan; smooth top (layer will be thin).
• Bake brownie until tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 18 to 20 minutes.
• Allow brownie to cool slightly, then gently press down on edges to form flat, even layer.
• Cool completely in pan on rack.
• FOR WHITE-CHOCOLATE CARAMEL:.
• Spoon 1 tablespoon water into small bowl; sprinkle gelatin over and stir to blend.
• Let stand until gelatin softens, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine remaining 2 tablespoons water, sugar, and pinch of salt in heavy small saucepan.
• Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil until syrup is deep amber, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with wet pastry brush, about 8 minutes.
• Slowly add cream (mixture will bubble vigorously) & reduce heat to low.
• Stir to dissolve any caramel bits.
• Remove from heat; let cool 5 minutes.
• Add gelatin mixture; stir until gelatin dissolves.
• Add white chocolate; whisk until melted and smooth; whisk in butter.
• Pour caramel atop cooled brownie; spread evenly to cover completely.
• Chill uncovered until caramel firms slightly, at least 8 hours or overnight.
• FOR BITTERSWEET-CHOCOLATE GANACHE:.
• Bring cream to simmer in small saucepan; remove from heat.
• Add chocolate; whisk until melted and smooth.
• Cool until mixture is slightly thickened but still pourable, about 15 minutes.
• Pour ganache atop caramel on brownie; spread just to edges.
• Sprinkle chopped candied pecans evenly over.
• Chill uncovered until ganache is firm enough to cut, about 4 hours.
• **DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep chilled.
• CACAO NIB GELATO:.
• Combine whipping cream, milk, and cacao nibs in heavy large saucepan.
• Scrape in the seeds from vanilla bean; add bean and bring mixture to simmer; remove from heat.
• Cover and let mixture steep 30 minutes; uncover and return to simmer.
• Whisk egg yolks and sugar in large heatproof bowl until mixture is pale yellow and slightly thickened.
• Gradually add hot cream mixture to yolk mixture, whisking until blended.
• Return mixture to same saucepan and stir over medium low heat until custard thickens and coats back of spoon when finger is drawn across and instant-read thermometer inserted in custard registers 170ºF, about 5 minutes (do not boil).
• Transfer custard to medium bowl; cover and chill overnight.
• Pour custard through fine strainer set over bowl, discard solids in strainer.
• Transfer custard to ice cream maker and proocess according to manufacturer's instructions & transfer gelato to freezer container.
• Cover and freeze until ice cream is firm, at least 8 hours or overnight.
• ***DO AHEAD - Can be made 3 days ahead; keep frozen.
• ASSEMBLY:.
• Using foil as aid, lift brownie out of pan; place on work surface.
• Fold foil sides down.
• Using sharp knife, trim off about 1/4 inch of brownie on all sides.
• Cut brownie into eight 3 1/2-inch-long, 13/4-inch-wide bars.
• Place 1 brownie bar and scoop of Cacao Nib Gelato on each of 8 plates and serve.
• E N J O Y!

WHITE CHOCOLATE GELATO

Steps:

• Beat the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl using an electric mixer at medium speed until the consistency of a very grainy quick-bread batter, about 2 minutes; set aside.
• Heat the milk and cream in a saucepan set over medium heat until tiny bubbles pop up around the pan's inner rim; do not boil.
• Whisk about 1/3 of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture until smooth, then whisk this combined mixture back into the pan with the remaining hot milk mixture.
• Immediately turn down the heat to very low (if using an electric stove, move the pan to a second burner just now set on low).
• Cook slowly, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens to the consistency of very wet, loose cake batter and can coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the white chocolate, vanilla, and salt until smooth.
• Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any bits of scrambled eggs.
• Refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours or overnight.
• As you prepare your ice cream machine, place the white chocolate custard in the freezer to assure it is very cold, for no more than 10 minutes.
• Freeze the custard in your ice cream machine according to manufacturer's instructions.
• Serve at once--or transfer to a freezer container, seal tightly, and store in the freezer for no more than 3 days; soften at room temperature for up to 10 minutes before serving.