I recently wrote all about chocolate. I consider it unfair. . .perhaps even down right cruel, to force you to read all about chocolate and not give you any recipes to try. After all, knowing about chocolate isn’t nearly as much fun as eating it!
Brownie Know How
Brownies are by far my favorite easy dessert. I almost never make brownies from a mix although I have to say that I really cannot tell the difference between homemade brownies and mixed brownies. But I already have the ingredients on hand, and it’s cheaper, so that’s the way I do it.
I am a big fan of fudgey brownies as opposed to the kind that are more cake like in texture. There are two methods I’ve discovered that will yield more fudge like results. The first is to melt unsweetened chocolate squares with the butter as opposed to using powdered baking cocoa. (I prefer to do it over the stove but you can do it in the microwave as well). The second tip, is to reduce the flour a little in the recipe to get a more fudge like texture.
Also, brownies, like most other baked goods, keep cooking once they’re taken out of the oven. Cooking for even a minute longer can drastically change the texture from moist to dry. This is actually why I always set the timer for about 2 minutes before they are due to come out of the oven. This way I can watch and see how they’re doing.
*For brownies you need to:
Add 1 2/3 cup sugar, 1 stick of butter and 2 tablespoons of water in a saucepan. Stir frequently until the mixture is boiling. (You don’t want it scorching but you do really want a rolling boil.) Turn off the heat and add 4 ounces of unsweetened chocolate immediately. Stir until the chocolate is melted. (It will melt more quickly if it is broken up into pieces.)
Cool the chocolate mixture slightly and then add 2 eggs one at a time. After adding each egg make sure to stir well. Add one teaspoon of vanilla and stir well.
Next you need to add your floured ingredients. I am sure a purist would say that you should sift your ingredients together and then add them. If you care deeply about cake like texture th+en you should go ahead and sift because doing so will make your brownies even more cake like. However, I never do because I want my brownies to be nice and fudge like. Add to the brownie mixture: 1 1/3 cups flour, 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir well.
If you want to add nuts you can about 1/2 cup nuts right before putting the batter into a greased 13 x 9 x 2 in. baking pan. However, you don’t have to stop at nuts. Look soon for my next blog on things to add to the mixture to make your brownies go from basic easy to super dazzling!
*Note: This is the basic brownie recipe on the back of many unsweetened chocolate bar products.
Other Yummylicious Recipes:
Peanut Butter Caramel Cookie Cups-Oh My!
What Can You Do With Sugar Cookie Dough?