Once again, another trip to the doctor (for my mother) necessitated another batch of brownies to be delivered in conjunction with her visit.
However, unlike the last batch that I never got to try, this time I planned ahead – I baked a double batch of these and actually tried one.
Wow – they truly are chewy, fudgy, and absolutely delicious. Good thing I still have one stashed in the freezer.
And it’s another good thing that the posse doesn’t know about it.
Chewy Fudgy Brownies – adapted from America’s Test Kitchen
5 oz semisweet chocolate or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
8 tbs. unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into quarters
3 tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil or parchment paper and spray lightly with nonstick spray.
In medium heatproof bowl set over a pan of almost-simmering water, melt chocolates and butter, stirring occasionally until mixture is smooth. Whisk in cocoa until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
3. Whisk together eggs, sugar, and vanilla in medium bowl until combined, about 15 seconds. Whisk warm chocolate mixture into egg mixture; then stir in flour with wooden spoon until just combined. Pour mixture into prepared pan, spread into corners, and level surface with rubber spatula; bake until slightly puffed and toothpick inserted in center comes out with a small amount of sticky crumbs clinging to it, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours, then remove brownies from pan. Cut into squares and enjoy!
Hello fellow chocolate fans!
This post originally appeared on Megan’s Sweet Life…but I’m reprinting it here so I can keep this blog up to date ……..
I have to admit something regarding these brownies…….
I didn’t try them…
Shocking I know, especially if you are aware of my intense love affair with chocolate….
However, they were baked, wrapped up, and delivered to my dermatologists’ office before my mom had a procedure done two weeks ago. My doctor is as much of a card-carrying chocoholic as I am, so I always like to take something extra delicious for him and his staff.
The next day, I had to take Alexander over to the office to have a palm thorn removed from his hand (long story) – but the girls made a point of telling me how absolutely delicious those brownies were – and was I sure I didn’t buy them somewhere?
…..as if…...
Robert’s Best Brownies – adapted from David Lebovitz
8 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Line the inside of an 8-inch square pan with 2 lengths of foil, positioning the sheets perpendicular to each other and allowing the excess to extend beyond the edges of the pan, or with a single large sheet of extra wide foil or parchment paper. Lightly butter the foil or parchment.
In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Add the chocolate and stir by hand until it is melted and smooth.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sugar and vanilla until combined. Beat in the eggs by hand, 1 at a time. Add the flour and stir energetically for 1 full minute—time yourself—until the batter loses its graininess, becomes smooth and glossy, and pulls away a bit from the sides of the saucepan.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the center feels almost set, about 30 minutes. Do not overbake.
Let the brownie cool completely in the pan—this is the difficult part—before lifting the foil or parchment and the block of brownie out of the pan. Cut the brownie into squares.
I’ve done peanut butter brownies before – quite a few times, I think…..and while these won’t win any awards for creativity or looks, they were spec-ta-cu-lar….
Of course, I am a card-carrying peanut butter enthusiast, so perhaps my opinion is slightly biased 
Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies – adapted from martha stewart
2 ounces good-quality unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
4 ounces good-quality semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extractPreheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan and line with parchment, allowing a 2-inch overhang. Butter lining (not overhang).
Make batter: Put butter and chocolates in a heatproof medium bowl set over a pan of simmering water; stir until melted. Let cool slightly. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
Whisk granulated sugar into chocolate mixture. Add eggs, and whisk until mixture is smooth. Stir in vanilla. Add flour mixture; stir until well incorporated.
Make filling: Stir together butter, confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, salt, and vanilla in a bowl until smooth.
Pour one-third of batter into prepared pan; spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Drop dollops of peanut butter filling (about 1 tablespoon each) on top of batter, spacing about 1 inch apart. Drizzle remaining batter on top, and gently spread to fill pan. Drop dollops of remaining filling on top. Gently swirl peanut butter filling into batter with a butter knife, running the knife lengthwise and crosswise through layers.
Bake until a cake tester inserted into brownies (avoid center and edges) comes out with a few crumbs but is not wet, about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly in pan, about 15 minutes. Lift out; let cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into squares.
As I was perusing my newest holiday baking magazines (can’t resist those at the checkout stand!), I started thinking about what kind of brownies I wanted to make this week.
I started mentally reviewing all the recipes I’ve tried, variations of those recipes, and then it hit me – I don’t think I’ve ever made coconut brownies before.
Like a cross between a brownie and a Mounds candy bar, these were really, really good – but I guess I fell a bit short in the swirling department, because I was advised by my trusty taste testers that there wasn’t enough of the coconut filling. But honestly, I think if I doubled the filling I would end up with a black bottom coconut bar – which isn’t a bad thing at all, now that I think of it….
These were delicious nonetheless and definitely worth it.
Coconut Swirl Brownies – adapted from Martha Stewart Cookies
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 large egg white
2 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped ( I used bittersweet)
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 large eggs
I could have sworn only a few weeks have passed since I last posted.
I was wrong, because it’s been a few months….
Unbelievable.
At any rate, here’s a recipe for brownies that can truly be described as “simply the best”. Really, they are. From the master of chocolates, Marcel Desaulnier, these brownies are definitely going to hit my top ten list for 2012. I do have a few more I want to try before the end of the year, and with the holidays coming up, I had better get busy.
Stay tuned.. I won’t be gone that long again
Simply The Best Chocolate Brownies – adapted from Marcel Desaulnier
4 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon unsalted butter1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, broken into 1/2-ounce pieces
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken into 1/2-ounce pieces
3 eggs
1 cup sugar1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract1/4 cup sour cream4 ounces chocolate chunks
Sift together 1/4 cup flour, 2 tablespoons cocoa, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt onto waxed paper. Set aside.
Heat 1-inch of water in the bottom half of a double boiler over medium heat. Place 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, 4 tablespoons butter, and 2 ounces semisweet chocolate in the top half of the double boiler tightly cover top with film wrap. Heat for 4 1/2 to 5 minutes, remove from the heat, and stir until smooth.
Place 3 eggs, 1 cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a balloon whip. Whisk on high speed until slightly thickened, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add the melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and whisk on medium for 30 seconds. Add the sifted ingredients, whisk on low for 10 seconds, then on medium for 10 seconds. Add the sour cream and whisk on medium for 5 seconds.
Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a rubber spatula to thoroughly combine ( also add and combine 4 ounces chocolate chunks ).
Pour the brownie batter into the prepared cake pan, spreading evenly. Bake the brownie for 25-30 minutes, until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan.
One of the biggest downfalls of being a Pinterest addict is seeing all the fabulous ideas that other individuals so helpfully and conveniently post for your viewing pleasure.
Between the clothes, food, decorating tips, nail polish colors, hair styles… I want to do and try it all.
It’s complete madness I tell you!
It’s no wonder that I have fallen behind in my blogging….I didn’t realize how long it had been since I’d posted a recipe here until Katrina called me out on it two days ago. I actually made these brownies last week, but had them safely stashed in the freezer …. for my own good, of course.
And while I’ve seen several variations of them floating around between Pinterest, Serious Eats and Google Reader, I decided to go with a recipe that I found on Anna’s site, mostly because she doesn’t utilize boxed mixes like many of the other recipes do. Not that there’s anything wrong with using mixes, I just prefer to not to.
My opinion on these?
Make them soon.
Or now.
Whichever comes first.
You won’t regret it.
Chocolate Chip Oreo Brownie Bars – adapted (barely) from Cookie Madness
Cookie Base:
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
6 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (5 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2/3 cup chocolate chips
9 Oreos (regular, double stuff, whatever you prefer)
Brownie Layer:
6 tablespoons unsweetened natural cocoa powder
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
And just like that, I’m back
Welcome to another exciting year of The Brownie Project ~ I’m very happy to be back in the blogging world, sharing my tasty brownie discoveries with you!
Don’t these look marvelous?
I made these several weeks ago for a get-together my daughter hosted at our house – her friends went absolutely crazy for them. Ultra rich, super fudgy, and very dense, they really were over-the-top delicious ~ and will definitely make my next Top 10 list.
And as a friendly “FYI” – they are outstanding frozen
Note: As with all marbled/swirl recipes, less is always more ~ go easy on these, you don’t want the cheesecake to end up on the bottom of the pan.
Cheesecake Swirl Brownies – adapted from a recipe by Martha Stewart
½ cup unsalted butter
¾ cup plus all-purpose flour
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ tsp baking powder
8 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1½ cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
4 oz. bar cream cheese, softened
Dash of vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan; line with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 sides. Grease the parchment paper. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder in a bowl.
Melt the butter and the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of gently simmering water; remove bowl from pan. Add 1¼ cups sugar; stir to combine. Add 3 eggs, one at a time, and mix to combine. Stir in flour mixture just until moistened (do not overmix).
In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth . Mix in remaining ¼ cup sugar, 1 egg, and a dash of vanilla extract until smooth. Spoon the brownie batter into the prepared pan and smooth it out with an offset spatula. Dollop the cheesecake mixture on top of the brownie batter, and with the tip of a paring knife, swirl to marble.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with only a few moist crumbs, 25 to 35 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack 30 minutes. Use parchment to lift brownies from pan; transfer (on parchment) to rack to cool completely. On a cutting board, with a dampened serrated knife, cut into 16 squares. Brownies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.
