Gluten Free Chocolate Brownies with Peanut Buttercream & Chocolate Truffle Icing by Phil Vickery

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180'c/170'c fan/gas mark 4. Line an 18cm square tin with baking paper.

2. In a small pan, melt the butter with 50g of the chocolate, then set aside to cool. Chop the remaining 100g chocolate into rough chunks.

3. In a separate bowl, prepare the flour mixture by combining the gluten free rice flour, the potato starch and gluten free tapioca flour. Sift together very thoroughly or put into a food-processor and pulse until mixed. Set this aside.

4. In a separate large bowl, beat together the sugar with the eggs and vanilla. Sift the flour mix with the baking powder and mix this into the eggs and sugar. Stir in the cooled, melted chocolate mixture, add the chocolate chunks and mix until combined, then pour the mixture into the tin.

5. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the brownie begins to shrink from the sides of the tin and has a crust on top. It should still be soft and a little wobbly in the centre. Take it out of the oven and leave it to cool in the tin. If you're not adding the toppings, cut into squares and serve. If you are, chill it in the fridge.

6. To make the peanut buttercream, put the butter and peanut butter into a bowl and beat with an electric mixer. Gradually mix in the icing sugar, and when it starts to thicken, incorporate the coconut milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until all the sugar is mixed in, and the icing is thick and spreadable. Beat for about 3 minutes until fluffy. Once the brownie is cold, top with a thin layer of the smooth peanut buttercream, return to the fridge to chill.

7. To make the ganache, melt the chocolate with the knob of butter and cream in a heavy-based pan over a low heat. Stir and make sure the mixture doesn’t get too hot – you don’t want it to boil. Just before the chocolate has finished melting, take it off the heat and stir until smooth, thick and glossy. Pour into a bowl to cool.

8. Once the brownie has chilled, pour a thin layer of chocolate truffle ganache over the top. Return to the fridge to set, then cut into squares. Eat at room temperature.