Brownies
The King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion Copyright 2003
6 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter
5 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
2 ½ cups sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup (optional) I did add this
1 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
optional add-ins: 1 ½ cups chopped walnuts or pecans, 1 ½ cups mini marshmallows, 1 cup melted caramel, 1 cup chocolate chips I didn't add any of these
In a medium-sized saucepan, melt the chocolate and butter together over low heat. Set aside to cool slightly.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs, vanilla, salt, sugar and corn syrup together until light and fluffy, which takes a few minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and lightly grease a 9x13-inch pan.
Stir the flour into the chocolate and butter mixture. Fold the chocolate batter into the egg mixture, stirring to combine. Stir in optional ingredients, if using.
Spread the batter in the pan. For and extra-glossy top, brush with 1 tablespoon milk. Bake the brownies for 35 minutes; the top should be crisp, but a toothpick inserted in the center will come out coated with chocolate. Remove the brownies from the oven, and let them cool for several hours before cutting into squares. I cooled them overnight.
Makes 2 dozen 2-inch square brownies.
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Sorry for the awful picture. I thought I would get a better picture of the leftovers but they didn't last long enough. I wasn't thrilled with these myself but everyone else seemed to like them. They were good enough, but far from the ultimate brownie as far as I'm concerned. I didn't really have time to search out the best brownie recipe. I just grabbed the first one I saw.
After baking these, it looked like I had a cake in the pan. I didn't brush the top with milk so maybe that might have helped but these didn't have that crackly brownie top I'm used to. The edges burned a little but that was probably because I used a cheap, thin baking pan since I used my better glass one for something else (Pineapple Gooey Butter Cakes - they were a big hit too). I added the corn syrup mainly because I had a huge bottle of it that my husband bought when I sent him out for some in a pinch at Christmas-time. It did add chewiness to the brownies, I just wasn't sure if I liked it and they disappeared before I could better analyze them. From what I can recollect, these were right in the middle of fudgy and cakey. They were definitely very chocolately. They easily cut into neat bars too (I used a plastic knife).
I can't wait to hit the cookbooks tonight and plan next week's menu. We'll probably be eating hamburgers and hot dogs at least once a week for the next few weeks since I still have a bunch of them in the freezer.
Question of the Day: What is your idea of the perfect brownie?
12 comments:
Brownies... Yum! I like them more on the side of fudgy, but with some crumb. My favorite ones are Alton Brown's Cocoa ones and my death by chocolate ones. :)
Good luck on your quest for the "ultimate" brownie!!
I like my brownies moist and warm. I don't know if there are any other qualities that I am looking for in a good one. Topped with ice cream helps too.
Um, I hate brownies ROFL. Not a big fan of cake either, really not a dessert eater. My favourite "brownies" are of the spinach and cheese variety and are called that because nobody can tell what they are in the pan - tee hee!
I like chewy chocolatety brownies. I really like the One-bowl recipe on the Hershey's unsweetened chocolate box.
Btw, I noticed the eggplant in the picture. If you did'nt use it yet, you could just cube it and roast it and just toss it in with pasta!
I love brownies, but then again, I love anything chocolate. I have settled on one recipe for "Fudgy One-Bowl brownies" and usually only make those. They're always a big hit though :)
Okay, I'm ashamed to admit this, but...my favorite brownies come from a box. (I know, I know.) I am constantly trying brownie recipes to find ones that taste like mixes. Is that so wrong?
Let's see...a fudgy pan all the way, but it depends on what kind of moon I'm in as to whether I want the edge piece with a little crunch or the very center piece that is all goo!
A really good mix brownie is the one from Ghirideli (SP?)
Let's see we have 3 votes for fudgy, 1 for moist and warm, 1 for chewy, 1 for boxed and 1 for spinach!
Do not be ashamed Hilary, last year I made brownies from a box and they were probably the best brownies I've ever made. I just wish I rememebered which ones they were. Then again, they're probably susceptible to cross-contamination with nuts and off-limits in our house now anyway.
I second the Ghiradelli vote. They used to have mix multi-packs at Sam's...
Fudgey brownies, indeed! I am not a fan of adding items like nuts to a brownie; I think a brownie is best au natural! :)
Thanks for the spelling corrections! Ghiradelli indeed!
My favorite are the fudgy kind with some chew too...the KAF whole grain baking recipe is my favorite. My husbands fav is the Cooks Illustrated Chewy Brownie. Ghirardelli mix won the cooks illustrated taste test too! I think that brownies are the #1 thing that people want to taste like the box, so no shame in that!
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