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Posts Tagged ‘brownies’

Burned (or Burnt) Brownies

Posted in desserts, Food, Recipes, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on April 23, 2013| 8 Comments »

brownie_9919

Whichever you choose, that is exactly what I produced the other evening.  The urge for something sweet came upon me as I was making dinner, so I quickly made a batch of brownies.  I thought I had some walnuts in the freezer, but when I looked I had every type of nut but… so I sprinkled the top with a few leftover chocolate chips I found in the fridge and some shredded coconut hidden in the freezer (I still prefer nuts, though).  Into the oven went the pan while I served dinner.  We were having such great conversation that I forgot all about my brownies until my nose picked up a strange scent —— oooh, burnt chocolate.  I made a quick retrieval and sent them upside-down to a rack to cool.  The edges were pretty crispy, but I sawed them off and savored the slightly smoky taste of the remainder.  Here’s the recipe; should you make it, please don’t let it burn.

1 cup sifted flour
½ cup sifted cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s new Special Dark Cocoa Powder)
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 ¾ cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¾ cup toasted walnuts – if you have them
    Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Lightly coat the interior of an 8-inch square baking pan with Baker’s Joy or other nonstick vegetable spray.  Set aside.
Combine the sifted flour, cocoa powder, and salt.  Set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle.  When light and fluffy, beat in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla.  Add the dry ingredients, a bit at a time, beating to blend.  Fold in the walnuts (or whatever you like to add to your brownies).
Scrape into the prepared pan and transfer to the preheated oven.  Bake for about 25 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and set on a wire rack to cool for about 15 minutes.  Cut into squares while still warm, but leave in the pan until cool.  Unless you have burned them – in this case, upend them quickly to stop any further cooking.

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My Best Brownies

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , , on June 22, 2011| 2 Comments »

I don’t bake much in the summer in the city as my kitchen just gets unbearably hot and humid and I get unbearingly hot and grumpy.  However, the temperature went from 100º last week to the low 60s this so I threw a batch of brownies in the oven so we could have an evening treat and I would have sweets to bring to my favorite baristas at JOE, our morning coffee bar.

I have been making the recipe since I was a teenager and it appeared in my first cookbook, The Gift-Giver’s Cookbook (written with my close friend, Jane Green in 1970) as Edna’s Brownies.  It had been given to my mom by an Illinois cook named Edna Vogel who had used it as her go-to dessert for years.  I assume that this recipe has seen more church socials, bridge parties, picnics, and backyard barbecues than we, altogether, can imagine.  I think that it makes a wonderful cookie – today I added about half a bag of bittersweet chocolate chips that had become half a bag through my reaching in for a sneak treat.  You can also add just about any type chip you like to the mix.  I made the bars a bit thicker than usual – no matter – thick or thin – they’re delicious.

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour

½ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups sugar 

4 large eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup walnut or pecan pieces, optional

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Generously butter and floured an 11-inch by 7-inch baking pan or coat it with nonstick baking spray.  Set aside.

Combine the flour, cocoa, and salt. Set aside.

Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle.  Beat, on medium, until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. When blended, lower the speed and add the vanilla.

When well combined, gradually add the reserved flour mixture, beating to blend completely.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, slightly smoothing the top.

Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 25 minutes or until the sides begin to pull away from the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and place on wire racks to cool for about 15 minutes. Then, cut into squares, but leave in the pan until cool.

When cool, store, airtight, at room temperature, for up to a week.

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