Brownies -- Bake-Off I

[JFLinLA]

Can blondies count? If so, then my favorite all already posted in the recipe archive -- Coffee Chocolate Chip Blondies with Kahlua!

[Pan]

The richest, most delicious brownies I've ever had were raspberry brownies that, believe it or not, I used to buy in a now long-defunct convenience store just east of the corner of 42nd St. and 6th Av. in Manhattan. I don't know where they got them from, but they were made with very fudgy, very dark chocolate and delicious raspberry jam. I gained a lot of weight (14 lbs., I think?) the year that I ate those regularly after classes at CUNY Graduate Center, which was in a building about halfway between 5th and 6th on 42nd St. in those days (1987-88).

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Brownie and raspberry jam sounds amazing! I'd love to try that. Was the raspberry swirled into the batter?[...]

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No. As I remember, it was in a layer right near the top, with just a bit of dark chocolate over it.

[miladyinsanity]

If anyone can develop a brownie recipe based on Hermé's salted chocolate "World Peace" cookie in Dorie Greenspan's new book, I'd send them homecured bacon for life. (Ix-nay on the uts-nay.)

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I'll accept this challenge - but I'll need the recipe of the World Peace cookies (I know someone who has the book). Is it OK Chris if they aren't quite as sweet at the cookies?

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The recipe. ETA: The cookies aren't all that sweet though.

Chrisamirault, this is possibly the best idea I've heard in my life! (albeit rather short life)

To answer Paulraphael's question, I like fudgy and must have crackly top. I like my brownies plain, no nuts, even chocolate chips are usually iffy.

I am going to try adding chocolate chip cookies to brownies this weekend, since it'd be a horrible waste otherwise.

Edited March 20, 2007 by miladyinsanity (log)

[SusanGiff]

I do not want a cake-like brownie.  If I want cake, I'll eat cake.  I'm really partial to a gooey brownie, but I love the edge/crispy bits.  To that end, I espied with interest this new item:  the Bakers Edge pan.  Anyone tried one?

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I bought the Baker's Edge pan after (long after) reading about the inventor, who won grant money after coming up with this cool idea. It's fun--everyone does get an edge piece, and couple of lucky people get the ends, which actually have THREE edges. If you like that bit, this pan is great.

Our family favorite, after a few weeks of testing, is in the Cook's Illustrated best recipes book. It's a nice cross between cakey (of which I disapprove) and fudgy. But I'm willing to experiment.

[Chris Amirault]

If anyone can develop a brownie recipe based on Hermé's salted chocolate "World Peace" cookie in Dorie Greenspan's new book, I'd send them homecured bacon for life. (Ix-nay on the uts-nay.)

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I'll accept this challenge - but I'll need the recipe of the World Peace cookies (I know someone who has the book). Is it OK Chris if they aren't quite as sweet at the cookies?

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Recipe above. Not sweet is good.

Can blondies count? 

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Feh: blondies are an abomination against brownies and, possibly, food in general -- although a salted caramel blondie... now, that might work....

[Priscilla]

In re the World Peace cookies/salty brownie idea, from the same inspiration I had increased the salt (I use my regular flakey Pacific evaporated from Giusto's) quite a lot in the last 2 batches of brownies I've made, coincidentally in the past week, with excellent results.

The reason for the 2 batches so close together was because the two male members of my household, WP cookie fans who also are the brownie consumers, said they were the Best Brownies Ever. Which is also their Richard Scarry-esque name, The Best Fudge Brownies Ever.

The recipe was printed on my latest bag of King Arthur AP flour, espied while emptying the bag into the canister, which suited me and my 1/2-a-13x9"-pan at the time due to its ease. (I halved the recipe.) It's got chocolate chips in it, which I personally disappove of in brownies, but I am the lone voice in my household on this account.

[miladyinsanity]

Can blondies count? 

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Feh: blondies are an abomination against brownies and, possibly, food in general -- although a salted caramel blondie... now, that might work....

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I think you've been given honorary membership into the PMS thread.

But I'm looking at the blondie recipes I have, and think I can come up with something. Disaster coming right up.

[shaloop]

My favorite brownies are Chewy Brownies from fine cooking. Rich, chocolaty, and chewy. Excellent as they are or as the base for countless adornments. I also LOVE the banana brownies from a Brownie Cookbook. Can't remember book title or author, will post when found.

[jende]

My favorite brownies are Chewy Brownies from fine cooking.  Rich, chocolaty, and chewy.  Excellent as they are or as the base for countless adornments.  I also LOVE the banana brownies from a Brownie Cookbook.  Can't remember book title or author, will post when found.

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I adore the combination of banana and chocolate (in fact, it's the only fruit I can stand to mix with what I already consider God's most perfect product), so please do tell us more. I'm assuming it's bananas mashed up in an otherwise chocolate brownie?

[merstar]

My favorite brownies are Chewy Brownies from fine cooking.  Rich, chocolaty, and chewy.  Excellent as they are or as the base for countless adornments.  I also LOVE the banana brownies from a Brownie Cookbook.  Can't remember book title or author, will post when found.

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I love the Chewy Brownies also. Which way do you like them better, room temperature or chilled? I've been eating them mostly chilled, but they're also great at room temp.

[Pam R]

Chewy is the way to go. If it's cakey, then it's a cake.

What about a cheesecake brownie? You know, some cheesecake batter swirled into a rich and dark brownie.

[shaloop]

My favorite brownies are Chewy Brownies from fine cooking.  Rich, chocolaty, and chewy.  Excellent as they are or as the base for countless adornments.  I also LOVE the banana brownies from a Brownie Cookbook.  Can't remember book title or author, will post when found.

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I adore the combination of banana and chocolate (in fact, it's the only fruit I can stand to mix with what I already consider God's most perfect product), so please do tell us more. I'm assuming it's bananas mashed up in an otherwise chocolate brownie?

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It's from Ultimate Brownie Book by Bruce Weinstein

[Ling]

I think I need to try Ling's recipe, though. Her's look like they might be perfect.

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Oh, thanks! I actually haven't made that particular recipe in a long time. I have since modified another brownie recipe that I really like. It's very chocolate-y, moist, and melts in your mouth because it uses the meringue technique (whip whites separately, and fold). It uses both cocoa and bittersweet chocolate, and a bit of salt. Sometimes I add some espresso and/or cinnamon, and sometimes glaze them with ganache.

I've tried a lot of the well-known recipes out there (like the Medrich cocoa brownie recipe) and have found them just OK in terms of chocolate flavour.

The Katherine Hepburn recipe has many variations--the version in Recipe Gullet (also posted upthread) doesn't have nearly enough chocolate for me, so I've never made them, but the version in Dorie Greenspan's book is a good one.

Edited March 21, 2007 by Ling (log)

[Pan]

Feh: blondies are an abomination against brownies and, possibly, food in general -- although a salted caramel blondie... now, that might work....

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I've always liked butterscotch blondies with butterscotch chips and no chocolate. Caramel sounds good too, but not noticeably salty would be to my taste.

Other good variations include cappuccino or mocha brownies. I've never had a cheesecake brownie that I've liked. I prefer more of a chocolate taste, and brownies seem to be too small to get enough of a cheesecake flavor or texture for my taste. Then again, I know how much amazing talent there is here, so it's very likely that if one of YOU made the cheesecake brownie, I'd love it!

[lovebenton0]

Chewy is the way to go.  If it's cakey, then it's a cake.

What about a cheesecake brownie?  You know, some cheesecake batter swirled into a rich and dark brownie.

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personally i like a cheesecake marbled brownie sometimes. i've made them for many years, don't remember where my recipe was inspired from. probably lack of enough chocolate to do a whole pan. in my house they're ''tuxedo brownies''... half ''white'', half ''black.''

whether full chocolate or tuxedo, definitely chewy gooey, not cakey. if nutted, i prefer pecans. love the edge, and must have that crispy top. other variations i like... cinnamon is good, especially with espresso.

[SusanGiff]

I think I need to try Ling's recipe, though. Her's look like they might be perfect.

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Oh, thanks! I actually haven't made that particular recipe in a long time. I have since modified another brownie recipe that I really like. It's very chocolate-y, moist, and melts in your mouth because it uses the meringue technique (whip whites separately, and fold). It uses both cocoa and bittersweet chocolate, and a bit of salt. Sometimes I add some espresso and/or cinnamon, and sometimes glaze them with ganache.

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Ooh, those sound good. Have you posted the recipe?

[SusanGiff]

Also, I'd pay almost any price for a recipe approximating the brownies at Sullivan St. Bakery on 47th St in New York. (they call them tortini di cioccolato, but they taste like brownies to me). This is quite possibly my favorite brownie on earth.

[jende]

My favorite brownies are Chewy Brownies from fine cooking.  Rich, chocolaty, and chewy.  Excellent as they are or as the base for countless adornments.  I also LOVE the banana brownies from a Brownie Cookbook.  Can't remember book title or author, will post when found.

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I adore the combination of banana and chocolate (in fact, it's the only fruit I can stand to mix with what I already consider God's most perfect product), so please do tell us more. I'm assuming it's bananas mashed up in an otherwise chocolate brownie?

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It's from Ultimate Brownie Book by Bruce Weinstein

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Thanks, I'll check it out.

[shaloop]

Feh: blondies are an abomination against brownies and, possibly, food in general -- although a salted caramel blondie... now, that might work....

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I've always liked butterscotch blondies with butterscotch chips and no chocolate. Caramel sounds good too, but not noticeably salty would be to my taste.

Other good variations include cappuccino or mocha brownies. I've never had a cheesecake brownie that I've liked. I prefer more of a chocolate taste, and brownies seem to be too small to get enough of a cheesecake flavor or texture for my taste. Then again, I know how much amazing talent there is here, so it's very likely that if one of YOU made the cheesecake brownie, I'd love it!

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I like cheesecake brownies. It took me awhile to get the cheesecake part to my liking, many of the recipes ended up with a somewhat wet cheesecake after sitting. I start with the Fine Cooking, Chewy brownie recipe linked to in my earlier post and add my tweaked cheesecake batter (which is different than what I make my cheesecakes with.) MMmmmm......

[natasha1270]

I'm a fan of Ina Garten's Outrageous Brownies recipe with or without nuts. Sugar & cold eggs to hot butter & chocolate for glossy top. I have also read this advice in an article quoting Alice Medrich. Rapping the pan midway is essential!

"Shocking" the pan by placing it in the fridge or atop a pan of ice water is also supposed to produce a crispier/denser texture but I haven't played around with this much. True?

N.

[Ling]

I think I need to try Ling's recipe, though. Her's look like they might be perfect.

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Oh, thanks! I actually haven't made that particular recipe in a long time. I have since modified another brownie recipe that I really like. It's very chocolate-y, moist, and melts in your mouth because it uses the meringue technique (whip whites separately, and fold). It uses both cocoa and bittersweet chocolate, and a bit of salt. Sometimes I add some espresso and/or cinnamon, and sometimes glaze them with ganache.

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Ooh, those sound good. Have you posted the recipe?

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No, but it's the "Cakey brownie" recipe in the Scharffen Berger Chocolate cookbook. I don't know why it's called that, but it's not a cakey brownie, at least not when I add an extra ounce of chopped chocolate. I also add a pinch of salt, 1 less tablespoon of flour, 1 extra tablespoon of cocoa, and sometimes espresso and cinnamon, and a ganache glaze. Be careful not to over-bake!

[Kerry Beal]

World Peace Brownies on the left, World Peace cookies on the right. Tomorrow I'll take them to work and get folks to taste them and see what they think. I have a cold, totally stuffed head and can't taste a darn thing, so I'll have to count on other taste buds to tell me how they compare.

If they taste similar I'll post the recipe.

[JFLinLA]

Can blondies count? 

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Feh: blondies are an abomination against brownies and, possibly, food in general -- although a salted caramel blondie... now, that might work....

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[SusanGiff]

I think I need to try Ling's recipe, though. Her's look like they might be perfect.

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Oh, thanks! I actually haven't made that particular recipe in a long time. I have since modified another brownie recipe that I really like. It's very chocolate-y, moist, and melts in your mouth because it uses the meringue technique (whip whites separately, and fold). It uses both cocoa and bittersweet chocolate, and a bit of salt. Sometimes I add some espresso and/or cinnamon, and sometimes glaze them with ganache.

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Ooh, those sound good. Have you posted the recipe?

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No, but it's the "Cakey brownie" recipe in the Scharffen Berger Chocolate cookbook. I don't know why it's called that, but it's not a cakey brownie, at least not when I add an extra ounce of chopped chocolate. I also add a pinch of salt, 1 less tablespoon of flour, 1 extra tablespoon of cocoa, and sometimes espresso and cinnamon, and a ganache glaze. Be careful not to over-bake!

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Thanks. I'll try to find it. Meanwhile, I made your old recipe yesterday. They took a lot longer than 25 minutes to bake for some reason (hmm...it just occurred to me that I may have used an 8 inch pan) but they were worth every minute. Fantastic, and even the family (previously devoted to my other recipe) loved them. In fact, the babysitter mentioned them when we got home last night. Definitely a keeper!

[Trishiad]

Funny, I made Ling's "Old" brownies yesterday also. I didn't use the nonstick and completely forgot to adjust the temp. They took closer to 55 minutes to cook at 325 in a regular cake pan with a parchment liner on the bottom.

delish, and worth the wait.

My 5 year old really enjoyed making them with me because the recipe called for the handmixer and some pretty easy stirring. He practically made them himself. And I practically ate them all myself. There is half a pan this morning.