‘Money can’t buy you happiness’ brownies

I don’t think I need to elaborate too much on these, do I? I am always in search of the best brownie, and I figure if you can’t find it, make it. So here it is: a triple chocolate brownie, with a layer of toasted chopped nuts encased in dulce de leche, then topped with a zesty cheesecake mixture and baked again. I rest my case.

Credit: Penguin Books / Nadiya Bakes

• makes

  18

• prep

  40 minutes

• cook

  55 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

I have this saying that money can't buy you happiness, but brownies can. 

Ingredients

For the brownie base

• 250 g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra to grease
• 250 g dark chocolate
• 4 medium eggs
• 280 g soft dark brown sugar
• 1 tsp instant coffee mixed with 2 tsp hot water
• 120 g plain flour, sifted
• 30 g cocoa, sifted
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp plain flour
• 150 g dark choc chips

For the nutty centre

• 1 450 g jar of dulce de leche
• 200 g chopped mixed nuts or hazelnuts
• ½ tsp salt

For the top

• 300 g full-fat soft cream cheese
• 100 g caster sugar
• 2 medium eggs
• 1 tsp almond extract
• zest of 1 orange
• 3 tsp plain flour
• cocoa powder for dusting

Chilling time: overnight.

Instructions

1. Put the butter and chocolate in a small pan and melt gently, stirring occasionally until the mixture is liquid. Set aside to cool.
2. Line the base and sides of a 20 x 30 x 5cm brownie tin with some baking paper so that it comes 1cm above the top of the tin, and lightly grease.
3. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 60°C/gas 4.
4. Add the eggs, sugar and cooled coffee to a large mixing bowl and whisk until the mixture is light, thick and fluffy. This should take 5 minutes with an electric hand whisk. (Adding the coffee really enhances the flavour of the cocoa and you won’t even be able to taste the coffee itself.)
5. Pour in the cooled melted chocolate and whisk until the mixture no longer has any streaks in it.
6. Then add the sifted flour, cocoa and salt and mix until you have a glossy batter.
7. Mix the teaspoon of flour with the chocolate chips in a bowl before mixing them into the batter until they’re well dispersed – this trick will stop them sinking to the bottom when you bake the brownies. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and level off the top. Bake for 25 minutes.
8. While it is baking, toast the nuts in a large non-stick pan, stirring until they are a deep golden brown.
9. Put the dulce de leche in a bowl along with the toasted nuts and the salt, mix and set aside.
10. As soon as the brownies are baked, take them out of the oven and leave to cool completely in the tin. As soon as they have cooled, spread the sticky nut mixture over the top and pop the whole thing in the freezer for 30 minutes.
11. Adjust the oven to 170°C/fan 150°C/gas 3½.
12. Make the cheesecake top by mixing the cream cheese, sugar, egg, almond extract, orange zest and flour together really well.
13. Spoon and spread into an even layer over the nut mixture and pop into the oven for 30 minutes.
14. As soon as the cheesecake is set in the centre, allow to cool totally and leave in the fridge overnight. The wait will be worth it!
15. Dust with the cocoa, take out of the tin and cut into squares. Eat, eat, eat!

Note

• Best kept in the fridge, for 3–4 days.

Recipe and image from Nadiya Bakes by Nadiya Hussain (Michael Joseph / Penguin Books, RRP $45). Photography by Chris Terry.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

I have this saying that money can't buy you happiness, but brownies can.