Nadya O’Connor is a New Delhi native who went off to France to study at Le Cordon Bleu and then travelled and worked in France. At The House of Celeste, we were lucky to have her join us just as we were about to open – an opening that never happened due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown. What we ended up getting instead was a taste of Nadya’s delicious skills and her wonderful calm and poised personality. She partnered with Aayush Verma, a chef in our savoury kitchen, and together they opened Sugarbug Patisserie in Gurgaon, a shop delivering baked goods and choice savoury items. These brownies, like everything Nadya touches, are memorable. That they are gluten-free makes them accessible for all.

  • Serves

    3

  • Cook Time

    01 h 00 m

Ingredients

  • 225 gm chocolate
  • 225 gm unsalted butter
  • 200 gm caster sugar
  • 150 gm almond powder
  • 3 eggs 

Preparation

  1. Melt chocolate and butter together on a double boiler (or in a microwave), stirring every 15-20 seconds until mixed well. Let cool to room temperature.
  2. Roast some almonds and ground into a powder using a blender.
  3. Whip eggs and sugar together using a stand mixer or your hands for a little workout.
  4. Cut and fold almond powder into whipped eggs mixture carefully to maintain the fluffy density of eggs. Gently fold in the butter and chocolate mixture.
  5. Pour into a baking tin lined with baking or parchment paper. Top with your favourite dry fruits or your preferred ingredients in brownies.
  6. Bake in a preheated oven at 190°Celsius for about 20 minutes.
  7. Let it cool for half an hour at room temperature and demould or eat fresh and hot from your baking tin.
Written by

Suvir Saran

Suvir Saran, the Chef-Owner of The House of Celeste in Gurgaon, is Scroll Food’s Chef of the Month for August. A legend in New York’s food circles, Chef Suvir garnered a Michelin star at Devi, a first for Indian cuisine restaurants in North America. He is the chairman of Asian Culinary Studies for the Culinary Institute of America and has written three cookbooks: ‘Indian Home Cooking: A Fresh Introduction to Indian Food’, ‘American Masala: 125 New Classics from My Home Kitchen’ and ‘Masala Farm: Stories and Recipes from an Uncommon Life in the Country’. His fourth book, ‘Instamatic: A Chef’s Deeper More Thoughful Look into Today’s Instaworld’, released earlier this year. Chef Saran’s approachable style helped demystify Indian cuisine in the US and ultimately formed American Masala, his culinary philosophy that celebrates the best of Indian and American cooking.

See more by Suvir Saran