The Culinary Connoisseur
Best of the Brownie
22
Oct
Oct
It is often
thought that brownies are the lucky result of a cook’s mistake. Rumor has it that the cook in question left
the baking powder out of her cake and it fell in. She didn’t want it to go to waste so she cut
squares of the flat cake and served it as a new delicacy. While it makes for an entertaining tale, it
can hardly be true as brownies are denser than a fallen cake and contain no
liquid other than eggs.
thought that brownies are the lucky result of a cook’s mistake. Rumor has it that the cook in question left
the baking powder out of her cake and it fell in. She didn’t want it to go to waste so she cut
squares of the flat cake and served it as a new delicacy. While it makes for an entertaining tale, it
can hardly be true as brownies are denser than a fallen cake and contain no
liquid other than eggs.
Basic
brownie recipes contain little or no leaveners like baking powder or soda and
they always call for the chocolate and butter or margarine to be melted. Original recipes don’t include flavorings
such as vanilla or rum and are often made with unsweetened chocolate. The classic brownie consists of very few
ingredients: butter or margarine, sugar, chocolate, eggs, and flour. These ingredients result in a fudgy brownie
which purists habitually claim are the only authentic brownie. Melting the butter rather than creaming it
with sugar yields a denser, fudgier outcome. Creaming incorporates air into the
mixture, which causes the brownies to rise.
Many recipes use unsweetened chocolate with a plenty of sugar to balance
its bitterness.
brownie recipes contain little or no leaveners like baking powder or soda and
they always call for the chocolate and butter or margarine to be melted. Original recipes don’t include flavorings
such as vanilla or rum and are often made with unsweetened chocolate. The classic brownie consists of very few
ingredients: butter or margarine, sugar, chocolate, eggs, and flour. These ingredients result in a fudgy brownie
which purists habitually claim are the only authentic brownie. Melting the butter rather than creaming it
with sugar yields a denser, fudgier outcome. Creaming incorporates air into the
mixture, which causes the brownies to rise.
Many recipes use unsweetened chocolate with a plenty of sugar to balance
its bitterness.
This recipe is dairy—you can switch the
butter for margarine and the dulce de leche for parve caramel cream.
butter for margarine and the dulce de leche for parve caramel cream.
8
tablespoons butter (1 stick) cut into chunks
tablespoons butter (1 stick) cut into chunks
7 ounces
bittersweet chocolate, chopped
¾ cup flour
½ teaspoon
baking powder
baking powder
2 eggs, at
room temperature
room temperature
1 cup sugar
¼ teaspoon
salt
salt
2 teaspoons
vanilla extract
vanilla extract
2/3 cup
chopped pecans, about 3 ounces
chopped pecans, about 3 ounces
1/3 cup
semisweet chocolate chips (optional)
semisweet chocolate chips (optional)
½ cup dulce
de leche (milk caramel)
de leche (milk caramel)
Preheat oven
to 325 degrees F. Prepare a piece of
parchment paper 15” long. Fold it lengthwise
to form a 9” wide piece. . With fold face down, place parchment into a 9”
square pan allowing excess to hang over the edges of the pan. Spray with
grease-and- flour spray.
to 325 degrees F. Prepare a piece of
parchment paper 15” long. Fold it lengthwise
to form a 9” wide piece. . With fold face down, place parchment into a 9”
square pan allowing excess to hang over the edges of the pan. Spray with
grease-and- flour spray.
Melt butter
and chocolate in a double boiler. Stir occasionally until smooth and combined;
cool. Whisk together flour and baking powder; set aside. In a separate bowl, beat eggs. Add sugar, salt and vanilla; whisk until
combined. Add cooled chocolate mixture;
whisk together. Add flour and stir to
combine. Add chopped pecans and optional
chocolate chips.
and chocolate in a double boiler. Stir occasionally until smooth and combined;
cool. Whisk together flour and baking powder; set aside. In a separate bowl, beat eggs. Add sugar, salt and vanilla; whisk until
combined. Add cooled chocolate mixture;
whisk together. Add flour and stir to
combine. Add chopped pecans and optional
chocolate chips.
Spread half
of brownie batter in prepared pan.
Drizzle ¼ cup caramel over batter. Drop remaining batter in large mounds
over caramel layer. Drizzle additional ¼ cup caramel over batter Using tip of a
knife, swirl with batter. Bake brownies
for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center comes out with
some moist crumbs attached. Cool
brownies on wire rack for 1 ½ hours.
of brownie batter in prepared pan.
Drizzle ¼ cup caramel over batter. Drop remaining batter in large mounds
over caramel layer. Drizzle additional ¼ cup caramel over batter Using tip of a
knife, swirl with batter. Bake brownies
for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center comes out with
some moist crumbs attached. Cool
brownies on wire rack for 1 ½ hours.
Holding the
parchment edges hanging over the edge of the pan, lift out brownies. Peel away paper. Cut brownies into 25
squares.
parchment edges hanging over the edge of the pan, lift out brownies. Peel away paper. Cut brownies into 25
squares.
15 tablespoons
butter or margarine, cut into small pieces
butter or margarine, cut into small pieces
15 ounces semisweet
chocolate
chocolate
3 ounces unsweetened
chocolate
chocolate
2 ¼ cups sugar
6 eggs
3 teaspoons
vanilla extract
vanilla extract
1 ½ teaspoons
instant coffee
instant coffee
1 cup flour
Glaze:
6 ounces
quality white chocolate, parve or dairy, finely chopped
quality white chocolate, parve or dairy, finely chopped
1/3 cup
heavy cream or topping
heavy cream or topping
Preheat oven
to 325 and center a rack in the oven.
to 325 and center a rack in the oven.
Spray a
cookie sheet with non-stick spray and place a piece of parchment in it to fit.
cookie sheet with non-stick spray and place a piece of parchment in it to fit.
Melt
chocolate and butter in a double boiler until just melted. Remove the pan from
the heat and let come to room temperature.
chocolate and butter in a double boiler until just melted. Remove the pan from
the heat and let come to room temperature.
In a mixer
attached with the whisk attachment place the chocolate mixture and the
sugar. Mix on medium low. Add the eggs.
Add the vanilla and the instant coffee. Add flour and stir.
attached with the whisk attachment place the chocolate mixture and the
sugar. Mix on medium low. Add the eggs.
Add the vanilla and the instant coffee. Add flour and stir.
Scrape the
batter into your prepared pan and smooth out evenly with a spatula.
batter into your prepared pan and smooth out evenly with a spatula.
Bake for 30
min. Let the brownies cool completely.
min. Let the brownies cool completely.
To make the
glaze, put the white chocolate into a heatproof bowl. Bring the cream to a boil
and pour over the chocolate. Let it sit for a full 2 minutes. Gently stir with
a rubber spatula until the mixture is smooth.
glaze, put the white chocolate into a heatproof bowl. Bring the cream to a boil
and pour over the chocolate. Let it sit for a full 2 minutes. Gently stir with
a rubber spatula until the mixture is smooth.
Pour the
white chocolate over the cooled brownie.
Using an offset spatula spread the glaze evenly. Refrigerate the
brownies for about 20 minutes before cutting into squares.
white chocolate over the cooled brownie.
Using an offset spatula spread the glaze evenly. Refrigerate the
brownies for about 20 minutes before cutting into squares.