The crust of this beauty is a fudgy brownie swirled with blackberry jam. The filling is a lavender-infused dark chocolate icebox pie, all topped with blackberry meringue. The flavors and textures are outstanding!
Combine the cream, lavender (see note), sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Over medium-low heat, warm the mixture until it just starts to bubble around the edges. Turn the heat off, and allow the lavender to steep in the cream for 30 minutes.
Once the lavender has steeped, strain the lavender from the cream and place the cream in the refrigerator. The cream needs to be cold in order to whip properly.
For Crust:
Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a 9" springform pan and set aside.
In a large heatproof bowl, melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave on 30-second bursts, stirring after each burst, until mixture is smooth.
Add sugar and salt. Stir to combine. Add eggs, vanilla extract, and chocolate extract (see note). Stir to combine. Add flour, and mix until just incorporated.
Scrape the brownie batter into the prepared pan. Dollop spoonfuls of the blackberry fruit spread on top of the brownie batter, then use a thin knife to swirl throughout.
Bake 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Do not overbake! Allow brownie to cool completely.
For Filling:
In a small heatproof bowl, melt the chocolate chips in the microwave on 30-second bursts, stirring after each burst, until smooth. Set aside to cool.
In a large heatproof bowl, combine hot water, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and chocolate extract (see note). Stir to combine.
Add cooled, melted chocolate to the cocoa mixture and stir to combine.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the cold lavender cream to soft peaks. Gently fold the lavender whipped cream into the chocolate mixture in three additions, taking care to not deflate the cream.
Once no white streaks remain, scrape the filling into the pan on top of the cooled brownie crust. Refrigerate one hour, or until firm.
For Blackberry Purée:
Combine all purée ingredients in a small saucepan. Warm over medium-low heat until the berries start to break down and release their juices.
Transfer the mixture to a food processor and blend until smooth. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer to remove all the seeds, discarding the seeds.
Place the purée back in the saucepan and continue to cook until reduced by about half. Set aside to cool slightly.
For Meringue:
In a large heatproof bowl, whisk egg whites, honey, sugar, and salt. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, taking care that the water doesn't touch the bowl.
Whisking constantly, warm the mixture to 160° F, about 8-10 minutes.
Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer and whip using the whisk attachment until it reaches soft peaks. Add the vanilla bean paste (see note). Turn the mixer on low and gradually add the blackberry purée (taking care not to deflate the whites). Increase the mixer speed and continue to whip meringue until it reaches medium-stiff peaks.
Pipe or spoon the meringue on top of the chilled tart. Top with additional blackberries and lavender, if desired.Enjoy!
Notes
Note on lavender: You'll want to make sure that you're using culinary lavender, since other lavenders aren't meant to be eaten and could have been sprayed with harmful chemicals. I bought my lavender here.Note on chocolate extract: I highly recommend this (sometimes overlooked) extract! It lends amazing depth of flavor to chocolate baked goods! If you can't find it in your local grocery store, you can find some here. Even better, make yourself some Homemade Chocolate Extract for next time!Note on vanilla bean paste: I enjoy the flavor of vanilla bean paste and love the little black flecks that it leaves in the meringue! <3 If you’d like to get some vanilla bean paste for yourself, you can find some here. If you’d rather substitute, you can use an equal measure of vanilla extract.