Classic brownies

• With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C). Butter an 8-inch (20-cm) square baking pan and line the bottom with a sheet of parchment paper, letting it hang over two sides.
• In a bowl, over a double boiler or in the microwave oven, melt the chocolate with the butter. Let cool.
• In another bowl, combine the eggs, brown sugar, sugar and salt with a whisk until smooth. Add the chocolate mixture, then the flour, and stir until smooth.
• Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cake comes out with a few crumbs and not completely clean. Let cool in the pan, about 2 hours. Remove from the pan and cut into cubes.

Chocolate custard

• In a saucepan off the heat, combine the sugar with the cornstarch. Add the eggs and mix thoroughly with a whisk. Stir in the milk. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring continuously while scraping the bottom and sides of the pan, until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat.
• Strain the custard through a sieve into a bowl, if needed. Add the chocolate and mix until completely melted. Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the cream. Let cool and refrigerate for 2 hours or until completely chilled. When ready to use the custard, stir with a spatula to soften it.

Bourbon caramel

• In a saucepan, bring the sugar and bourbon (or water) to a boil. Cook without stirring until the mixture turns golden brown. Off the heat, gradually add the cream and salt. Beware of splattering. Bring back to a boil and cook until the mixture is just smooth. Transfer to a bowl and let cool completely.

Filling

• In a bowl, whip the cream, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.

Assembly

• At the bottom of a 12-cup (3-litre) glass serving bowl, spread 1/2 cup (125 ml) of the whipped cream. Layer with half the brownies, a quarter of the caramel, half of the crushed pecans, half the chocolate custard and half the whipped cream. Repeat the sequence a second time. Garnish with the reserved brownies, whole pecans and the rest of the caramel. Refrigerate for 12 hours before serving.