Brownie Burfi Bites. Indian Fusion Dessert perfect for any special occasion. Eggless brownie topped with a layer of milky creamy kesar (saffron) scented burfi (indian sweet). Chocolatey, milky and fudge with hints of saffron, these bites are one divine dessert to make anytime and enjoy! The combination of saffron and chocolate is heavenly to bite into. This flavor profile is not new to me, I did a similar combination a while back with these brownie saffron cheesecake bites.
You need just a few ingredients for the eggless brownies. They are scented with green cardamom and gooey(but not falling apart). While the brownies bake in the oven you can work on the burfi layer which is simply made with milk powder, milk, ghee and sugar. My kids really enjoy fusion mithai so I like to create recipes from time to time to give them a taste of indian flavors while still keeping the appeal of the desserts they know.
What is Milk Burfi?
Milk Burfi is a super popular, easy and delicious mithai which can be prepared with 4 to 5 ingredients like milk, milk powder or mawa, sugar and ghee. You can make it for indian festivals like Holi, Diwali, Vavratri or a batch to snack on. There are many ways to flavor burfi and here I have used saffron for the beautiful color and aroma it imparts.
How to make Burfi?
Traditionally burfi is made with khoya or mawa which are basically milk solids that have been separated after cooking the milk long enough so that its moisture evaporates. If you are not able to find good quality mawa, the same milky and creamy burfi can be made with milk powder.
How to make eggless brownies?
Brownies are usually made with eggs which impart them a unique gooeiness while taking care of the structure while they bake. However, by making a few swaps, brownies can be easily made eggless and they still taste indulgent, rich, dense and chewy. This one bowl recipe is crazy easy to whip up . You are going to need simple ingredients like butter, sugar, yogurt, chocolate, all purpose flour, cocoa power, soda and hot water.
Start by preparing your pan and preheating the oven. While the oven is heating, you can melt the chocolate over a double boiler. Once the melted chocolate has cooled down slightly, its time to mix everything together, add to the baking dish and bake. While the brownies bake - make the burfi layer and save time.
Few tips
- Line the baking pan with parchment paper with an overhang. This is super important because this will help you to lift the whole thing without sticking.
- Let the brownie layer cool down before adding the burfi layer. Prepare the burfi layer accordingly so that it doesn't dry out either. I usually start working on the burfi layer about 10 minutes after pitting the brownies in the oven.
- Don't mix the brownie batter too much.
Brownie Burfi Bites
Ingredients
For the Eggless Brownie Layer
- 8 tablespoon butter
- 130 g dark cooking chocolate (70%), chopped
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- ⅓ cup hot water
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- ⅓ teaspoon cardamom
- ⅓ cup thick plain yogurt, full fat
- ¾ cup +2 tbsp all purpose flour
- 3 tablespoon cornstarch
- ¼ cup chocolate chips
For the Burfi Layer
- 12-15 strands saffron, grind with a pinch of sugar in a mortar pestle
- 1 tablespoon warm milk
- ¼ cup +1 tbsp ghee, melted
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 2.5 cup milk powder, I use Nido brand
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- Sliced pistachios to garnish
Instructions
Brownie Layer
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8 inch square baking dish with parchment or wax paper with an overhang.
- In a heat proof bowl, add the butter, chocolate and cocoa powder. Place the bowl on a boiling pot of water making sure that the bottom of bowl is not touching the water. In about a minute you will see that the butter and chocolate start to melt, using a spatula stir gently a few times to mix. In about 4-5 minutes you will see that everything as melted, if some lumps of chocolate remain, they will melt in the residual heat. Take off the stove and set aside to cool.
- In another large mixing bowl, add the sugar along with hot water. Using a whisk, combine so that the sugar is dissolved. Add the chocolate mix and whisk well to make a runny smooth mixture. Don'tmix a lot as the chocolate might start thickening.
- Add the cardamom powder and yogurt next, and whisk to combine until smooth.
- Place a sieve/colander over the bowl and sift the flour and cornstarch over the wet ingredients.
- Very gently with the help of a spatula, mix everything together until the whole mixture is wet and you cannot see any white specks. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Transfer to the prepared baking dish and bake for 30-35 minutes until you see a crust forming at the top. If you insert a skewer, it should not come out clean but should have wet batter stuck on it either.
- Allow the baked brownie layer to cool completely(about 20-25 minutes). Don't take out from the baking dish. Proceed to the burfi layer below.
Burfil Layer (Make while the brownies are baking)
- Soak the saffron in warm milk. Let stand.
- Take a heavy bottom wide kadai (non stick is better) and add ghee, sugar, milk powder and milk to it. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, mix everything to form a milky slurry.
- Place the kadai on low medium heat and begin cooking the mixture. Stir continuously that no lumps are formed and the mixture does not stick to the bottom of the kadai.
- After about 5-6 minutes you will see that the milk mixture will start thickening. Continue to cook on low heat with regular stirring. At about 10 minutes, you will see that the mixture starts clumping around the spatula or wooden spoon and you will be able to fold it over itself. Also, t won't stick to the kadai at all.
- Add the saffron mix to the mixture and cook for 1-2 minutes, so that the mixture is very well scented with saffron. Don't cook too long else the burfi will be dry.
- Take off the stove, wait for 2-3 minutes and while still warm add the burfi mixture on top of the brownie mixture. Using a spatula smoothen and spread it out to have uniform thickness as well as cover the entire surface of the brownie layer.
- Once smooth, press down the pistachios on the burfi top. Allow to set for 2-3 hours.
- Carefully, lift the brownie out of the baking dish. It will be heavy. Using a sharp knife cut into desired size shape. Enjoy!
- Store in fridge upto 5 days.
Dorothy's New Vintage Kitchen
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