Belgium Brownie Waffles

Recipe Ben Teyssier

Images Ashlee Decaires

Served with white chocolate mascarpone, house nutella, pistachio praline, vanilla bean ice cream, chocolate sauce, dehydrated raspberries and vanilla whip Persian fairy floss, these decadent waffles are a stunning example of the food Ben, head chef at The Kirk, is becoming well known for.

Give the slightly paired down version a go yourself or head to The Kirk on Te Aroha Street for a breakfast you won’t forget!

Waffles

1/ 3 cup gluten free flour

1/ 3 cup sweet rice flour

¼ cup cocoa powder

3 tbsp almond meal

¼ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp sea salt

6 tbsp coconut oil

3 oz Whittaker’s dark chocolate

1/ 3 cup coconut sugar

2 large eggs

¼ cup unsweetened apple sauce

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

Whisk dry ingredients together until well combined.

Melt coconut oil and chocolate together, stirring until smooth. Sieve apple sauce then mix into chocolate with vanilla. Whisk in eggs one at a time until completely incorporated.

Combine the chocolate mix with the dry mix and stir together until just combined. Overmixing will result in tough waffles. You should have a thick but pourable batter.

Pour small amounts of batter into a heated waffle iron sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Cook for approximately three minutes.

Pecan & Pistachio Praline

½ cup shelled pistachios

½ cup pecan nut halves

¼ cup water

1 cup sugar

Place nuts on a lined baking tray and toast in a 180°C oven for approx. 3-4 minutes.

Place sugar and water in a small pot over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved.

Increase the heat and simmer, without stirring, until the sugar turns a light golden colour.

Pour the caramel over the nuts and chill in the fridge for approx. 30 minutes.

To serve, break into shards or place in a food processor and crush to a coarse crumb.

Chocolate Sauce

1½-2 tbsp butter

½ cup sugar

2 tbsp cocoa

½ tsp salt

¼ cup of water (more or less) for consistency

¼ tsp vanilla bean paste

Combine sugar, cocoa and salt into a small pot, adding enough water to make a stirrable consistency. Add butter and bring to a boil. Simmer for a minute until smooth and shiny. Take off the heat and add in vanilla.

White Chocolate Mascarpone

¼ cup white chocolate

2 tbsp cream

¼ tsp vanilla paste

250g mascarpone

Melt the white chocolate with the cream, stirring till melted. Allow to cool before folding into the mascarpone and vanilla.

Put it together by smearing some of the white chocolate mascarpone on the plate. Add a couple of waffles drizzled with chocolate sauce and a sprinkle of praline.

Decorate with freeze dried berries, edible flowers or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.