This recipe might look a little complicated but in fact it’s incredibly easy. If you’re very short of time use shop-bought brownies, a carton of ready made custard that you stir the melted chocolate into and a couple of posh jars of cherries in kirsch. Whatever way you decide to do it always use the best quality dark chocolate you can afford. It’s best to leave the final part of the assembly to the last minute for the most spectacular impact…
For the brownies:
225g dark chocolate, broken into squares
225g butter
300g caster sugar
3 large eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
100g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
For the chocolate custard:
600ml cream
140g caster sugar
4 egg yolks
1⁄2 tsp vanilla extract
200g dark chocolate, broken into squares
For the cherry syrup:
3 x 400g can black cherries in syrup
2 tbsp kirsch or brandy
For the cream topping:
300ml cream
1⁄2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp sifted icing sugar
200ml tub crème fraiche
For the decoration:
handful edible gold stars
Good sprinkling edible gold sprinkles
100g dark chocolate, in large thick shavings
100g white chocolate, in large thick shavings
100g fresh cherries (optional)
Baking tin
Parchment paper
Medium heat resistant bowl x 3
Saucepan x 2
Hand-held electric mixer
Sieve
Large trifle bowl