Hello lovelies,
I think I can speak on behalf of the nation when I say that if there’s one thing that use to bring great joy every single day as a child during the summer, it was the icecream man.
Every day me and my friends would wait in the park along my road, eagerly awaiting to hear the tune of the icecream van coming along before quickly legging it back home to collect our £1 to grab a 99p mr whippy covered in sauce and topped with a flake!
At the grand old age of 27, I still love hearing that same icecream man van tune as it brings back so many happy memories of my childhood and if you’ve been around here a while, you’ll know that anything that gives me a nostalgic feeling, I’m very fond of.
Therefore, you can imagine my excitement when scrolling through instagram recently to see a bakery of mine that I love had shared a ‘99 blondie’.
I hadn’t ever seen a bake inspired by a 99 before but after some research, its a trend that’s been going on for a while now so I immediately knew I had to join in on this genius idea and create a version of my own.
For those of you who don’t know, essentially the ‘99’ trend is taking a blondie or brownie and topping it with a thick, silky smooth, ultra creamy vanilla buttercream which is then topped with a flake (as what’s a 99 without a flake?) and doused in a icecream sauce of your choosing.
It’s such a simple bake yet my word, is it unbelievably yummy.
You may be wondering how this at all would resemble an icecream but by adding the double cream into the buttercream, it really brought out that creamy texture just like a 99 has and using the brownie as a base really allowed the buttercream to take centre stage and thrive in this recipe!
Whilst the bakery pictured above used blondies, I decided to use my thick, fudgey brownies to be the base of my ‘99’ inspired recipe and what a decision that was from me. It worked perfectly and had everyone who took a bite asking for seconds.
So, if these 99 brownies have caught your attention and got you wanting to make a batch of your own, you know the drill by now. Keep on scrolling below and you’ll find today’s recipe.
Category: Brownies, Desert, Sweet Treat
Servings: 9 Large Pieces Or 16 Smaller Pieces
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Bake Time: 30 Minutes
Chill Time: Minimum Of 4 Hours, Preferably Overnight
Decorating Time: 20 Minutes
Overall Time: 5+ Hours
Ingredients You Need For The Brownies:
- 200g Of 70% Cocoa Dark Chocolate
- 200g Of Unsalted Butter
- 275g Of Caster Sugar
- 4 Large Eggs
- 100g Of Plain Flour
- 50g Of Cocoa Powder
- 300g Of Milk Chocolate, Chopped Small
Ingredients You Need To Decorate:
- 150g Of Unsalted Butter
- 250g Of Icing Sugar
- 2tsp Of Vanilla Bean Paste
- 2tbsp Of Double Cream
- 9-16 Cadburys Flakes
- Rainbow Sprinkles
- Strawberry Sauce
How To Make The Brownies:
- Firstly, gather together your equipment and ingredients, line a 9” brownie tin with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 180C / 160C Fan / Gas Mark 4.
- Secondly, in a microwavable bowl, add both the 200g of dark chocolate and 200g of unsalted butter. Place the bowl into the microwave and in 20 second blasts, blast the butter/chocolate until fully melted.
- When both the ingredients have melted, remove from the microwave and place to one side to cool to room temperature.
- Now, in a large bowl, using an electric whisk, whisk together the 4 large eggs with the 275g of caster sugar for around 8 minutes, until the colour has turned pale, the mixture is mousse like and the volume has doubled in size (TIP: you will know it’s done when you lift the whisk up out from the mixture and it should leave a trail for a couple of seconds, before disappearing).
- Once whisked, pour the melted and cooled chocolate/butter mixture over the eggs and very gently fold together (TIP: being careful and patient is crucial at this stage because you don’t want to knock the air out of the mixture).
- When combined, sift in the 100g of plain flour and 50g of cocoa powder and carefully fold into the mixture.
- Carefully fold in the 300g of chopped milk chocolate until evenly distributed throughout the brownie batter.
- Pour the brownie batter into the pre-lined brownie tin and spread out evenly to all four corners.
- Place into the oven and bake for 30 minutes, until the edges are set and there’s a slight wobble in the centre of the brownie.
- Once baked, remove the brownies from the oven and allow to cool right down to room temperature in the tin before transferring into the fridge to chill for a minimum of 4 hours but preferably overnight.
How To Decorate:
- Now that the brownie has cooled and chilled, carefully remove from the baking tin and using a sharp knife, cut into 9 large pieces or 16 smaller pieces.
- Next, using an electric whisk or stand mixer, beat the 150g of unsalted butter for 2-3 minutes, until loosened and smooth.
- In small batches, beat in the 250g of icing sugar, 2tsp of vanilla bean paste and 2tbsp of double cream until a silky smooth buttercream has formed.
- Transfer the buttercream into a piping bag with a piping nozzle of your choice attached (I used a Wilton 2D star nozzle) and pipe the buttercream in a swirl to mimic soft-serve icecream.
- Finally, top each brownie with a flake, some rainbow sprinkles and finish with a drizzle of strawberryflavoured sauce (or whatever flavoured sauce you’d prefer).
That’s your ‘99 With A Flake’ Brownies prepared, baked, chilled, cut and decorated, ready for you to enjoy!
Notes:
- Store the brownies in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- You can freeze the baked brownies with no buttercream on for up to 3 months. I would recommend wrapping tightly in clingfilm to place into a freezer-safe container (this stops freezer-burns) then the night before or day of wanting a piece, thaw in the refrigerator overnight or for a minimum of 4 hours.
- I recommend after the brownie has cooled, to chill in the fridge to give it a extra fudgey texture.
- Usually, if you want an ultra gooey brownie, I’d recommend placing into the microwave but because these have buttercream on, I wouldn’t recommend heating the brownie as the buttercream will melt.
- You can totally adapt this recipe by using whatever ingredients you’d prefer in and on top of the brownie.
If you’ve been around here a while, you’ll know that I’m a girl who can always get behind a trend, there’s plenty of them out there that have captured my heart and this trend is another added to a long list of favourites!
I feel like to truly understand the trend, you have to create a batch for yourself as after one bite, weirdly that nostalgic feeling comes rushing back and I was transport back to the early 2000’s.
I’m completely and utterly, head over heels in love with these ‘99 with a flake’ brownies and I can guarantee you that you will be too!
Let me know in the comments below if you make these brownies yourself and if you do, what your thoughts are on them. Did you get the mr whippy vibes? Do you love this as much as me?
Sending you all tons of love & hugs as always,
Elle xo
