Ingredients
Method
1.Preheat oven to 160°C/325°F. Grease two 20cm (8-inch) square cake pans; line with baking paper, extending paper 5cm (2 inches) over sides.
2.Break chocolate into large heatproof bowl; add chopped butter. Place over large saucepan of simmering water; stir until smooth. Remove from heat; whisk in sifted cocoa, sugars and extract until smooth. Stir in eggs and sifted flour.
3.Spread mixture evenly into pans. Bake about 35 minutes; cool brownies in pans. Enclose brownies in plastic wrap, freeze until ready to assemble.
4.Line cleaned 20cm (8-inch) square pan with plastic wrap. Place one brownie, top-side up, in pan.
5.Beat ice-cream in medium bowl a with wooden spoon until barely softened. Working quickly, spread ice-cream over brownie in pan, cover, freeze until firm. Top with remaining brownie, top-side down, press down gently, cover; freeze overnight.
6.Make chocolate ganache. Bring cream up to the boil in small saucepan; remove from heat. Break chocolate into cream; stir until smooth. Transfer mixture to small bowl. Refrigerate until firm. Beat ganache with electric mixer until spreadable.
7.Make almond toffee. Stir nuts in large heavy-based frying pan until golden; remove from pan to baking-paper-lined oven tray to cool. Combine sugar and the water in small saucepan, stir over high heat until sugar is dissolved. Boil, without stirring, for about 10 minutes or until toffee coloured. Remove from heat, allow bubbles to subside. Pour toffee evenly over nuts; leave to set at room temperature.
8.Just before serving, top the brownie sandwich with ganache and broken toffee. Cut into squares to serve.
It is fine to use just one 300ml carton of cream for the chocolate ganache. Use a large, sharp hot dry kitchen knife to cut the brownie sandwich into squares. If you are not going to serve it all, it’s best to only cut what you need as the cut brownie will dry out in the freezer. Cover the cut surfaces with plastic wrap and freeze before it melts.
Note
