This is one of those desserts that looks so elegant from the piping, but it’s sneaky-easy to pull together. We dress up basic brownies using a simple chocolate glaze around the outside and then pipe a whipped chocolate ganache on top.

　　This recipe was excerpted from 'Bake It Better' by Matt Adlard. Buy the full book on Amazon. Get more of our favorite chocolate desserts→

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What you’ll need

　　Chevron

　　Chevron

　　70% Dark Chocolate

　　$24 At Amazon

　　Silicone Mat

　　$27 $18 At Amazon

　　4B Star Decorating Tip

　　$5 At Amazon

　　

Ingredients

Makes 8 to 10 brownie fingers

　　

For the whipped chocolate ganache

3 g powdered gelatin 

　　18 g cold water 

　　120 g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids

　　500 g heavy cream 

　　

For the brownies

220 g unsalted butter

　　320 g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids

　　200 g eggs

　　20 g egg yolks

　　85 g granulated sugar

　　185 g light brown sugar

　　150 g all-purpose flour

　　30 g cocoa powder

　　½ tsp. flaky sea salt, plus extra for topping

　　

For the chocolate coating

300 g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids

　　30 g vegetable oil

　　

Prepare the whipped chocolate ganache

Step 1

Into a small bowl, add the powdered gelatin and pour the cold water over the top. Stir it together and then allow it to bloom for 5 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Meanwhile, add the chocolate to a bowl, and place this over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir this until it is completely melted, then remove it from the heat and set it to one side.

　　

Step 3

Add the cream into a medium saucepan and place it over a medium heat. Once it is steaming, but not boiling, remove it from the heat and scoop in the bloomed gelatin. Stir this through until it has completely dissolved.

　　

Step 4

Using a rubber spatula, stir the center of the melted chocolate in small circular motions, slowly pouring in the hot cream. Initially it may look slightly split but it will pull together. If you have a hand blender, once you have added all the cream, give it a quick blend to fully emulsify it.

　　

Step 5

Place a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface and chill it for a minimum of 6 hours or overnight in the fridge.

　　

Step 6

Once chilled, use a hand whisk with gently whisk the ganache until you reach a medium peak.

　　

Make the brownie fingers

Step 7

Preheat the oven to 355°F. Grease a 9 × 9 inch baking pan and line the inside with parchment paper, creating a slight overhang so you can lift the brownies out once baked.

　　

Step 8

In a medium bowl, combine the butter and chocolate. Place the bowl over a pot of gently simmering water. Stir the mixture occasionally until it has completely melted. Remove the bowl from the pot and allow the mixture to cool for 10 minutes. It’s a really important step to prevent the eggs from scrambling when you add them.

　　

Step 9

In the large bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, combine the eggs, egg yolks, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar. Whisk for 3 to 4 minutes or until the mixture becomes pale and fluffy. This is the secret to getting that nice shiny top on your brownies. (You can also mix these ingredients with an electric hand mixer.)

　　

Step 10

Once it is thick, very slowly drizzle in the cooled melted chocolate mixture while still whisking on a low speed. It’s important to do this slowly so the eggs can slowly adjust to the temperature of the warm chocolate.

　　

Step 11

Once the chocolate has completely incorporated, sift in the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Use a hand whisk to gently mix these in until no more dry ingredients are visible. Don’t overmix. 

　　

Step 12

Pour the batter into the pan, spreading it to the edges. Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt flakes over the top.

　　

Step 13

Place the pan in the oven and bake for 24 to 27 minutes. A wooden skewer inserted in the middle should still come out slightly wet.

　　

Step 14

Remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature, then place in the fridge for 1 hour.

　　

Step 15

Carefully lift the cooled brownies out of the tray and use a hot knife to cut them into rectangular slices. Depending on how big you would like them, you should be able to get 8 to 10 slices. Place these in the fridge.

　　

Step 16

For the chocolate coating, add the chocolate and oil to a medium bowl, and place it over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Stir until completely melted then remove it from the heat. Allow the mixture to cool to 104 to 113°F then pour it into a small rectangular container, deep enough for you to be able to dip the brownies in.

　　

Step 17

Remove a brownie from the fridge, and placing a knife into the center, dip the brownie into the chocolate glaze, so that it just reaches the top edge of the brownie and then transfer it over to a silicone mat. Rub the brownie along the silicone mat to get rid of any excess chocolate on the bottom then transfer it to a clean silicone mat to set. Repeat with the remaining brownies.

　　

Step 18

Add the whipped chocolate ganache into a piping bag fitted with a #4B star tip nozzle.

　　

Step 19

In an counter-clockwise motion, pipe a tight spiral of the ganache across the top of the brownie. Repeat this with the remaining brownies.

　　

Step 20

Allow them to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

　　Excerpted from Bake It Better reprinted by permission of DK, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. Copyright © 2023 by Matt Adlard Ltd. Buy the full book from Amazon or Penguin Random House.