Happy Hemp day!

We have skipped over wine press day (20 Grape Harvest) and are here to celebrate hemp. By a complete coincidence, while making this, I listened to Fresh Air’s Wednesday show which was about the history of cannabis in America. Does Terry also order her life via the French Republican Calendar??? A question for the ages.

I have no hemp recipes in my repertoire, so I present to you this delicious brownie. We return to Rose Levy Beranbaum and her delightful brownie tart with a chocolate crust. Do with it what you will.

Fudgy Pudgy Brownie Tart 

For the crust 

1 stick butter

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup plus 1 tbs cocoa powder

Pinch of salt

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 large egg

For the filling

1 cup walnut or pecan halves

1 1/2 sticks butter

5 ounces 99% cacao chocolate

3 ounces white chocolate

3 1/2 tbs cocoa powder

1 1/3 cups sugar

3 large eggs

1/2 tbs vanilla extract

3/4 cup flour

pinch of salt

First, cut the butter into small cubes and chill. Sift together the flour, cocoa and salt. I rarely sift, but will always sift when using cocoa powder – those lumps won’t ever come out otherwise! Using a food processor, pulse the butter and the powdered sugar. Then, add the cocoa mixture. Add the egg and pulse until just combined. Rose has a very specific method of further mixing the dough in a zip lock bag. I did this the first time I made one of her recipes and then never again. I’m sorry, Rose!

Press the dough into a small disk, wrap with plastic and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Spread plastic wrap on the counter and roll out the disk with another slice of plastic wrap on top. Rose has another very specific method of placing dough in a tart pan. Again, I did this with the first tart I made from her book and it worked perfectly, but I didn’t feel the added steps were necessary to move the dough into the pan. Apologies! Spray the tart pan with cooking spray and spread the dough so that there is about an inch over hang. Fold in the over hang inside the pan to give a thicker side crust. Chill the dough while you work on the filling.

Heat the oven to 325. Toast the walnuts if you like. Rose, of course, instructs you to melt the chocolates and butter over a double broiler. I do not own a double broiler and have never really seen the need to. I fully melt the butter, then add the dark chocolate (I found some 100% cacao), white chocolate and cocoa powder. I turn off the heat, mix the chocolates into the hot butter until everything is all melted.

Pour the chocolate mixture into an electric mixer and add the sugar. Whisk until blended. Then add in the eggs and vanilla. Add the flour and salt and whisk just a little. Fold in the walnuts. Pour the batter into the tart crust and bake for 35 to 45 minutes. Let it chill until cool and then unmold the tart pan. You can set the tart on top of a can or a cup and gently push the outer rim downward so it slips off easily. Enjoy!