Fudgy Black Forest Brownies with Kirsch Cream

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C and line a 14×14 cm square tin with baking paper, leaving the paper overhanging on two sides so you can lift the brownies out later. Pat the cherries thoroughly dry with paper towels.

   oven

2. Put the chocolate (keep back a fifth for shavings) and the butter in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water on low heat and stir for 3 min, until melted. The bowl must not touch the water. When smooth, lift it off and let it cool slightly.

   Add in this stepDark chocolate (55–70% cocoa) 48 gButter 45 g

   low heat

3. In another bowl, whisk the egg, sugar and salt for 1 min, until slightly paler. Stir in the melted chocolate, then sift over the flour and cocoa and fold with a spatula just until no dry flour is visible. The more you mix, the more cakey and less fudgy they get.

   Add in this stepEggs (for half an egg, beat 1 and use half, about 25 g) 1Caster sugar 60 gSalt 1 pinchPlain flour 25 gUnsweetened cocoa powder 8 g

4. Pour the batter into the tin, level it and press the cherries evenly into the surface. Bake in the oven for 18 min, until the edges are set and the centre has a slight wobble; a skewer should come out with a few moist crumbs. If it comes out clean, they're overbaked.

   Add in this stepJarred sour cherries, drained and patted dry 60 g

   oven

5. Let the brownies cool completely in the tin for at least 1 h. Cut warm, they crumble; they firm up to fudgy as they cool.

6. Whip the cold cream with the icing sugar and kirsch for 2 min, until it holds soft peaks. Lift the brownies out by the paper, cut into squares, add a spoonful of cream to each and scrape the remaining chocolate over with a vegetable peeler for shavings.

   Add in this stepWhipping cream, well chilled 80 mlIcing sugar 8 gKirsch (cherry brandy) 1 tspDark chocolate (55–70% cocoa) 12 g