Brownies with Booze

[Shel_B]

There's a brownie recipe that I've been using for about a year now, and I would like to try something new.  I have some dark rum in which a few vanilla beans have been soaking.  I'd like to incorporate that rum into the brownies.  How would the addition of the rum effect the proportion of milk that is used in the original recipe?  Should I reduce the amount of milk by the amount of rum added, or just replace the milk (1/4 - 1/3 cup) entirely with the rum?  Or should I just add the rum to the regular recipe (giving me more total liquid) since, at least in some types of cooking, the alcohol evaporates?

 

My ex-wife used to make a well-received brownie recipe using Kahlua, in which the Kahlua was added to the mixture and then, when the brownies were done baking, she'd brush some Kahlua on the top.  Looking at her recipe, she used no milk, just Kahlua.

 

So, any suggestions for adding the rum to my brownies?  Thanks!

Edited January 28, 2015 by Shel_B (log)

[weinoo]

Make the brownies. Drink a glass of rum while eating brownies.

[Lisa Shock]

Most brownie recipes don't have milk in them. The liquid is melted chocolate and some butter.

 

Generally the chocolate flavor is so strong that straight rum won't add much flavor at all, even if it is reduced. Kahlua has a very, very strong flavor, rum does not.

 

Even so, when baking Kahlua in the batter, the coffee flavor is very much secondary to the chocolate. This is why a lot of recipes where people want coffee flavored brownies they add powdered instant coffee or finely ground espresso beans.

 

To actually get a rum flavored brownie, I would use rum flavoring and seriously consider making a blondie instead of a brownie.

 

Soaking in alcohol will change the texture, as most rum is at least 50% water, and most recipes are relatively low in egg content -making the flour parts mushy. (cakes which are regularly doused in flavored alcohol tend to be cakes with a high egg content [spongy texture] that won't turn to mush when wet)

 

Honestly, weinoo is correct, just serve the brownies on a plate with a glass of rum.

[Shel_B]

[...] Generally the chocolate flavor is so strong that straight rum won't add much flavor at all, even if it is reduced. Kahlua has a very, very strong flavor, rum does not.

 

Even so, when baking Kahlua in the batter, the coffee flavor is very much secondary to the chocolate. This is why a lot of recipes where people want coffee flavored brownies they add powdered instant coffee or finely ground espresso beans.

 

To actually get a rum flavored brownie, I would use rum flavoring and seriously consider making a blondie instead of a brownie.

 

Soaking in alcohol will change the texture, as most rum is at least 50% water, and most recipes are relatively low in egg content -making the flour parts mushy. (cakes which are regularly doused in flavored alcohol tend to be cakes with a high egg content [spongy texture] that won't turn to mush when wet) [...]

 

 

Edited January 28, 2015 by Shel_B (log)

[CatPoet]

I have a recipe  for Swedish type of brownies that contains 2 tablespoons of rum as the liquid. Shall I translate?

[rotuts]

i add 1/2 cup of dark rum to a 'tray' of brownies all the time

 

the tray is the size you would get if you used a box of Betty's

 

you can taste the rum

 

if you want a rum taste, use a full-flavored rum.

 

mine is 'lower shelf' as that's what i get it for.

 

the folks at the library love them

[johnnytakes5]

Just a thought, but what about making rum balls out of your brownies. You may need to cut in some vanilla wafers to help with the texture. 

[Shel_B]

I have a recipe  for Swedish type of brownies that contains 2 tablespoons of rum as the liquid. Shall I translate?

[Shel_B]

i add 1/2 cup of dark rum to a 'tray' of brownies all the time

 

the tray is the size you would get if you used a box of Betty's

 

you can taste the rum

 

[rotuts]

Crocker.

[Shel_B]

Just a thought, but what about making rum balls out of your brownies. You may need to cut in some vanilla wafers to help with the texture.