Brownies – The Topic

[torchef]

Thanks Guys, I think I'll try the good housekeeping recipe and Multiply it by ten, hope it works!

[nightscotsman]

Any chance you could let us in on why you have to use milk chocolate to make your brownies? Seems like it would just produce a "brownie" weak in flavor.

[beans]

If I may join in, I'd like to inquire if anyone has experience in finding a delicate, cake like, fine textured brownie recipe.

I've tried a dozen or so recipes that range from the thick, dense, fudge-like ones (I think it was a Barefoot Contessa recipe) to chewy ones to some that are a bit dry.

Long ago in Cleveland, Sammy Catina and his wife Roberta Rocco started a lunch take out called "Impromtu Cuisine" in the Old Arcade and it is that recipe I will forever be in search of -- or something quite similar. This will also help me to learn how to adjust ingredients and their amounts to gain a particular desired result. (I'm still a religious recipe follower and not one to write baking recipes of my own).

I eagerly look forward to any and all suggestions.

[torchef]

Any chance you could let us in on why you have to use milk chocolate to make your brownies? Seems like it would just produce a "brownie" weak in flavor.

Well, to be honest with you, My sous chef ordered 20 kilos of callebaut milk chocolate callets, and I dont have the time or patience to send them back, my dry goods supplier is a pain in the ass, and I have to chase him for weeks for a credit, so there you go!....Dessert menu on the fly

[Toliver]

If I may join in, I'd like to inquire if anyone has experience in finding a delicate, cake like, fine textured brownie recipe.

Have you ever tried what are sometimes called "Texas" brownies? They're definately cake-like (in height, too) though I wouldn't really describe them as "delicate". They usually have a chocolate icing with walnuts that is supposed to be poured on while the brownies are still hot so the icing melts into place.

I am sure the recipe would be easy to Google.

[beans]

I've never heard of "Texas" brownies.

I searched and while I generally dislike much that comes from about.com, I might give the submitted recipe of theirs a go -- but after I've reviewed it in comparison to the others I have already tried. The other found recipes called for shortening and/or margarin which I really don't care to work with much, if at all. I know I should search a bit more in depth, but I gave up after page 3 of my search results.

The brownies I hold high and have an unending holy grail to seek out again were a bit tall and had a clear glaze and a single walnut or pecan half as a garnishing finish.

These are the ones I'd like to locate, prepare and offer at my family's lunch takeout that is now attracting many of the local business and hospital employees.

Yes, I know. They are only brownies. Horribly unambitious, however the humble brownie sells. I've witnessed some of the most crabby frowns or faces smile while smelling these bake/finish cooling while they picked up their early lunch sandwiches or coffees to go.

Thank you for your suggestion.

[Steve Klc]

You can achieve a lot of diversity with the good ol' American brownie. I fall solidly on the very dark, fudgy, chewy, moist, dense brownie side of the fence when eaten solo, so I'm afriad I can't be much help to the light, cakey brownie style seekers or with the milk chocolate angle. Good luck, however--you might try boosting the too-sweet, cacao-lacking Callebaut milk chocolate brownie batches with cocoa powder in the recipe.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?p...7&notFound=true

This nice Washington Post article has four recipes tacked on at the end representing the different brownie styles and effects. "Many" brownie recipes are variations of these Fannie Farmer classics. Philippe Conticini does a very interesting brownie (which ran in his NYTimes series) but I don't think we ever posted it on eG. Anyone remember?

[Wendy DeBord]

I don't think it ever got posted. I got a copy in a pm from Ted.

[mktye]

I've never heard of "Texas" brownies.

Try searching for "Texas Sheetcake" which is another name for what Toliver suggests. I suspect you'll find lots of hits.

Also, if you'd like, I can PM you the Texas Sheetcake recipe I always use when doing a TX BBQ-themed dinner.

[TrishCT]

Beans,

Regarding the Texas Brownies, they are a/k/a Texas Sheet Cake and Buttermilk Brownies. When I was the Editor of the church cookbook, Yankee Peddler Fare, this was one recipe I received numerous submissions for. Very popular. I frost with ganache and garnish with pecans. It may not be what you are looking for but here goes:

Texas Brownies

2 cups sugar

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup butter

6 tablespoons cocoa

1 cup water (or coffee)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup buttermilk

2 eggs (lightly beaten)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix sugar, flour and soda in large bowl.

2. Bring butter, cocoa, water, oil and buttermilk to a boil and pour over flour mixture. Add eggs and vanilla, mixing well.

3. Bake in greased and floured 11 x 17 inch sheet pan for 20-25 minutes.

[Toliver]

I got my Mom to give me the recipe of her version of the Texas Brownies. It's similar to what Trish posted but a little different.

It has an icing you put on while the "brownies" are still hot. It's very cake-like and not at all like a normal brownie. The "Clara" in the recipe title is a friend of the family. Feel free to call it what you want.

Clara’s Brownies (aka Texas Brownies)

400 degree oven

2 cups AP flour

2 cups granulated white sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 cup (2 cubes) butter

4 tblsp. cocoa

1 cup water

½ cup buttermilk (can substitute ½ cup milk with a capful of cider vinegar)

1 tsp. baking soda

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 tsp. vanilla

Sift flour, sugar & salt into a large bowl.

In a saucepan, combine cocoa, butter and water and bring to a boil. Once to the boil, pour over flour mixture and blend thoroughly.

Add buttermilk and baking soda. Mix well.

Add slightly beaten eggs and vanilla. Mix well.

The batter will be “soupy”. Pour into a greased (but not floured) 13x9 cake pan and bake about 20 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.

About five minutes before the brownies are going to come out of the oven, start the icing. The hot icing will be poured onto the hot just-from-the-oven brownies.

Icing:

½ cup butter (1 cube)

4 tblsp. Cocoa

6 tblsp. Milk

1 box of powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans), chop til chunky...not fine.

Combine first three ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil.

Remove from heat and add last three ingredients. Mix well and pour over hot brownies. Spread hot icing evenly over hot brownies.

Let cool completely. Serve with homemade vanilla ice cream.

There's nothing like taking a bite of this frosted brownie and getting a big chunk of walnut in the icing. Yum!

[Swisskaese]

Here is a recipe for "Cakey Brownies"

http://www.taunton.com/finecooking/pages/c00014_rec01.asp

[Marlene]

TrishCT and Toliver's recipes have now been placed in RecipeGullet, along with all the other Brownie recipes.

Please post your recipes to the Archive and provide links in the forums. Thanks.

[mudbug]

torchef,

Here is another source you may be interested in browsing:

Brownie Recipes with Ratings

[Swisskaese]

Thanks to the much appreciated help from Marlene, I posted my father's Black Pepper Brownie recipe on RecipeGullet. He used this for his hot fudge sundae brownies at his ice cream store. It was called, are you ready for this one folks, The Cream Machine. I never lived that one down!!!

[CreamFudge]

I have several thousand brownie recipes in books devoted to them, in other cookie books, in general cookbooks, in folders of clippings from magazines and newspapers, in my personal file, in vintage advertising ephemera and even in a NARAL program to which Katherine Hepburn donated her personal recipe. With all that, mamster gave me the last recipe needed after trying Alice Medrich's version from her 1999 book Cookies and Brownies. The secret is to put the hot out of the oven brownies into a pan of ice water to stop the baking. This creates a nice outer crust and a creamy middle. I guess, you can use this technique for any recipe with more than 1/2 cup of flour. If you want any outre recipes, just ask.

Hello!!! Thanks for the brownie ice water tip. Would you also have a recipe of Alice Medrich's chocolate chip cookies??

Thanks!!

[Joni]

Melkor...what did you use for the "praline"? If I cannot get this, what can I substitute?

[Ovenfrenzy]

I have a couple of scratch brownie recipes that are wonderful BUT here's my quick fix. Duncan Hines brownie mix using bourbon instead of water. Frost liberally with unsweetened marscapone cheese. Eat them and weep.

[dumplin]

These are the best brownies I've made so far. http://www.nickmalgieri.com/recipes/w10_brownies.html

They're thick and fudgy with a nice crisp top. I make them without chocolate chips...I'm a purist. I also love the crispy corners, but there are no bad brownies (except cream cheese ones). Thanks for the other recipes...I love trying out new brownie recipes.

[poutine]

Best brownie that I have tasted came from a small restaurant called Olive & Gourmando (351, rue Saint-Paul Ouest, 514-350-1083) in Old Montreal. Their brownies contain copious amounts of Valrhona chocolate & Illy coffee and little (if any) flour. They are small but worth every calorie. If ever visiting Montreal, make this restaurant a must stop!

[StudentChefEclipse]

Nifty topic today, especially since I came home from school to find a pan of brownies with my name on them (without nuts, as I am allergic.) To me a brownie is best when it is made of the darkest chocolate available and slightly chewy on the edge. If I am feeling really festive, I include dried tart cherries and chocolate chips. Or toffee chips. Or those little Valrhona drops... okay, I feel festive a lot. Brownies will do that to a person.

[Ling]

Anyone interested in trying this recipe? (I haven't used it.) Makes quite a few brownies!

Here's a recipe from Michael Recchiuti in this month's "Food and Wine":

Quadruple chocolate brownies

2 1/2 cups unsalted butter

1 lb unsweetened chocolate

5 1/2 cups sugar

16 large eggs

2 tbsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

3 3/4 cups AP flour

1/2 lb bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1/2 lb white chocolate, chopped

1/2 lb milk chocolate, chopped

Preheat oven to 300F. Prepare two 9x13" pans. Melt unsweetened chocolate. In a large bowl, whisk eggs with sugar, vanilla, and salt. Add the melted chocolate to the egg mixture. Add the flour. Add 5 oz of each of the chopped chocolates. Spread batter in prepared pans.

Melt remaining chopped chocolate, put in separate bowls. Drizzle the chocolate on top of the batter, use a knife to create marble effect. Bake 35 minutes.

[Wendy DeBord]

I'm glad you brought this thread up Ling. I've been wanting to make the brownies in Recchiuti's book.......has anyone tried them yet?

[JeAnneS]

My favorite is Barefoot Contessa Outrageous Brownies

[Ling]

I can't edit my post anymore, but the directions in the brownie recipe I posted above is written in my own words, so there's no copyright infringement.