SWEET AS SUGAR COOKIES

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Alice Medrich's Cocoa Brownies

I first found out about these brownies from Smitten Kitchen. Believe it or not, this was also one of my very first posts on my blog. Of course, back then, I didn't have a good camera and didn't know anything about food photography whatsoever, so the picture was awful. The brownies, however, were awesome, so into the brownie lineup they went.

Let me just say that you can never go wrong with Alice Medrich. I've heard people rave about her cookie recipes and these brownies are no exception. True, they won't give you that crackly papery thin crust on top. But, they are stain your fingers fudgy. And boy oh boy are they rich. I only used natural cocoa powder instead of Dutch (you can use either) and was plenty pleased with the chocolate punch that these had. So, whip up a batch of these brownies, grab a bowl of vanilla ice cream to go with it (you're gonna need it), and indulge in a chocolate dream come true.

Alice Medrich's Best Cocoa Brownies (from Alice Medrich's Bittersweet)

10 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 1/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. + 2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder (I used natural cocoa powder)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 large eggs, cold
1/2 c. all-purpose flour

Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a double boiler or in a bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water. Stir occasionally until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth and hot enough that you want to remove your finger fairly quickly after dipping it in to test. Take your butter chocolate mixture off the heat and set aside briefly until the mixture is only warm, not hot.

Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. When the batter looks thick, shiny, and well blended, add the flour and stir until you cannot see it any longer, then beat vigorously for 40 strokes with the wooden spoon. Spread evenly in an 8x8 pan lined with foil or parchment paper.

Bake at 325 for 25 min. (mine took a little longer) until a toothpick stuck in the center emerges slightly moist with batter. Let cool completely on a rack.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

King Arthur Flour Fudge Brownies

You can always count on King Arthur Flour to provide you with a good recipe. In fact, last summer, when I did my search for the best chocolate chip cookie, the King Arthur Flour CCC was one of the top finalists. So, you can bet that I had to try their brownie recipe.

With regards to the ingredients, I did omit the espresso powder since I don't drink coffee. I also used natural cocoa powder instead of dutch-process as the recipe states. Whether that would make a difference in the flavor of the brownies or not, well, I'd find out.

The recipe says that you should combine the eggs with the cocoa powder and that you should heat the butter and sugar together until the sugar dissolves. But, reading the reviews for this recipe, a lot of people said that the egg-cocoa mixture was difficult to work with and that they also had trouble getting the sugar to dissolve. The way I figure it, changing the method isn't going to change the taste of the brownies, and that's really all I care about. So, I took a couple liberties with the recipe. I melted the butter and added the sugar but didn't worry about getting it to dissolve. Then, I added the cocoa powder to the butter-sugar mixture, then the eggs, and so on.

I was a little worried that these brownies would come out cakey due to the fact that they had more flour than other brownie recipes I've tried and they also used baking powder. But, true to their name, these brownies were super fudgy, which is just how I wanted them to be. I may have underbaked mine just a little because they were also really gooey. But, is that a bad thing? Of course not! It makes them like molten chocolate cakes.

Fudgy, gooey, and delicious. Could you ask for anything more?

King Arthur Flour Fudge Brownies (from King Arthur Flour)

2 large eggs
1/2 c. + 2 Tbsp. double-dutch dark cocoa or dutch-process cocoa (I used natural cocoa)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. espresso powder (I omitted this)
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. unsalted butter
1 c. + 2 Tbsp. sugar
3/4 c. all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease an 8x8 pan.

Crack the eggs into a bowl, and beat them with the cocoa, salt, baking powder, espresso powder (if using), and vanilla till smooth.

Melt the butter in a saucepan set over low heat, then add the sugar and stir to combine. Continue to heat briefly, just until the mixture is hot, but not bubbling; it'll become shiny looking as you stir it. Heating the mixture to this point will dissolve more of the sugar, which will yield a shiny top crust on your brownies.

Add the hot butter/sugar mixture to the egg/cocoa mixture, stirring until smooth. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Spoon the batter into the pan. Bake for about 30 min., until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. The brownies should feel set on the edges, and the center should look very moist, but not uncooked. Remove them from the oven and cool on a rack before cutting and serving.

Friday, September 7, 2012

Sweets for a Saturday #85

1. Slice of Heaven Cupcakes - Amy's Cooking Adventures

2. Nutella Cloud Cupcakes - Life's Simple Measures

3. Old Fashioned Fudge Cake - A Flock in the City

4. Lady Behind the Curtain - Donut Sticks

5. Japanese Honey Cake - Something Sweet

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