Making some Brownies for Memory Lane

After five minutes of my friend staring at my yellow gift bag filled with brownies, I finally acknowledged her and the hungry look in her eyes.

“Yes, I made brownies.”

I reassured I would never give my bag of brownies to anyone else except my best friends.  Well, except for that day the priorities were the teachers who had written college recommendations for me, but that was a one-time exception.  I passed them out, warning everybody that these were super fudgy.

“Holy shit.”

“Ah my gawd.”

“MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM”

*silence from my friend M who was too busy devouring every last crumb*

“SACRILEGE!” – S screamed as a crumb fell to the floor.

I sat and watched my friends responses, a deep satisfaction rising inside of me that manifested itself in a brighter and larger-than-normal smile.  All was as it should be – perfect.  S was descending upon her brownie as if she were going in for a first kiss.  L and M were taunting each other as usual with their drastically different paces of eating – L eats slower than a sloth savoring its greens while M eats as ravenously as a hyena who’s prey it would seem, might disappear at any moment.  As M devoured her brownie in less than a minute, L watched, disgusted.  And while L nibbled at her brownie, eating one crumb at a time, M had to shield her eyes and turn away.  All the while S seemed to be having a moment with her brownie.  Despite the bickering and the intimate moments my friends had with the brownies, our lunch was filled with our usual laughter.  Like I said – perfect.

It’s times like these, as simple as a lunch at school with my best friends and a few super-fudgy brownies for dessert, that make me unexplainably happy.  The fact that a simple batch of chocolaty, delicious brownies could bring such joy and laughter to a school lunch fills me up with satisfaction that even a brownie cannot achieve (okay, maybe these brownies can).  It just goes to show how food is not just food.  Food is society.  Food is culture.  Food is laughter and friendship.  Food is childhood memories.  Food is more than just something to fill up your empty stomach.  Food is what fills your soul, your heart, and your nostalgia.  In a few years, I know I will make these brownies again and as I sink my teeth into their fudgy yet ethereally light interior – all these memories will come rushing back, and I can’t wait.  But until that day, all I can do is bake more brownies, feed my friends, laugh until my face aches, and make memories that will last a lifetime.

Make these brownies, and you will never forget the joy they will bring to you, and your friends and family.  Or in the words of my friend S, “SACRILEGE!” if you do not make these brownies.

Super Fudgy Brownies from Martha Stewart

Ingredients

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for pan
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 1/4 cups sugar – I used one cup.
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 – 3/4 cup chocolate chips – I added these in because I like variation in “texture”.  I also like extra chocolate in my brownies.  Seriously, you can never have enough chocolate.

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush a 9-inch square baking pan with butter. Line bottom and two sides with a strip of parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the two sides. Butter paper, and set pan aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; set aside.  Place butter and chocolate in a large heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of gently simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes; remove bowl from pan.
3. Add sugar; mix to combine. Add eggs, and mix to combine. Add flour mixture; mix just until moistened (do not overmix).
4. Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool in pan for 30 minutes. Using paper overhang, lift brownies out of pan; transfer to a rack to cool completely (still on paper). On a cutting board, using a dampened serrated knife, cut into 16 squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 2 days.  Give to friends, make memories and laughter, and enjoy.

I’m sorry, I lied.

I’ve gone and done it again.  I’ve baked some brownies.  And on top of that, I lied to you.  I’m dreadfully sorry.

I really should go stand in the corner for a time-out because this behavior is simply unacceptable.  There I was telling you how I had found the perfect brownies and then – BAM! I find THE perfect brownies… again.  I’m sorry, I guess I lied to you.  But I really didn’t know it at the time; I didn’t know about these buttery, chocolaty, dense, brownies with an irresistibly crackly, crispy crust while I was preaching to you about the chewiness and moistness of Cook’s Illustrated brownies.  But I would be lying again if I told you the Cook’s Illustrated Brownies weren’t perfect – they were – just in their own special way.  Maybe more than one perfect brownie can exist.

But hopefully I can make it up to you by providing you with the recipe and strongly encouraging you to go make these.  Really, you should.  And after you’ve had your first, second, maybe third brownie, maybe then you can find it in your heart and in your satisfied stomach, to forgive me.

P.S. There is a high probability that more perfect brownies may be found.  I’ve accepted that nearly all brownies are perfection because really? How could you go wrong with butter, chocolate, and minimal flour?  You really can’t.

P.P.S. I’ve been focusing a lot on my senior exhibition for the past few months, and I still will be for the next few, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop cooking or baking!  So in addition to more brownies, also expect an eclectic mixture of dinners, baked goods, rants, and quotes.

Supernatural Brownies

Ingredients

• 2 sticks (16 tablespoons) butter, more for pan and parchment paper
• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup dark brown sugar, such as muscovado
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or 3/4 cup whole walnuts, optional – I threw in some peanut butter chips because, why not mess with perfection?

Preparation

1. Butter a 13-by-9-inch baking pan and line with buttered parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In top of a double boiler set over barely simmering water, or on low power in a microwave, melt butter and chocolate together. Cool slightly. In a large bowl or mixer, whisk eggs. Whisk in salt, sugars and vanilla.

2. Whisk in chocolate mixture. Fold in flour just until combined. If using chopped walnuts, stir them in. Pour batter into prepared pan. If using whole walnuts, arrange on top of batter. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until shiny and beginning to crack on top. Cool in pan on rack.

Note: for best flavor bake one day before serving, let cool and store.  Good luck with that.

Chewy (at last) Brownies from Cook’s Illustrated

Could these be the ones?  Could these be the chewy, dense, fudgy, moist bliss I have been searching for?  They outshone the whole wheat King Arthur Brownies amd every other brownie recipe I have tried.  These were everything they promised to be an more.  They were chewy!  Oh so deliciously chewy!  Delightfully chewy in the crust and just chewy enough even in the middle!  It turns out using all granulated sugar, not brown sugar as King Arthur claimed, will get you that crispy, chewy top.  This is what cooks illustrated says:

“Why does granulated sugar work best? It’s all due to what might be deemed “special effects.” Whether on its own or in combination with corn syrup, brown sugar forms crystals on the surface of the cooling brownie. Crystals reflect light in a diffuse way, creating a matte effect. The pure sucrose in granulated sugar, on the other hand, forms a smooth glasslike surface as it cools that reflects light in a focused way, for a shiny effect. As for the crackly crust, its formation depends on sugar molecules rising to the surface of the batter and drying out during baking. Since both brown sugar and corn contain more moisture than granulated sugar, the surface of brownies made with either of these sweeteners never dries out enough for a crisp crust to form.”

Way to scientific for me, but the point is still the same: granulated sugar is best if you want that crackly, crispy top.  And here’s some more science from cook’s illustrated on the chewiness of brownies:

“The secret to a box-mix brownie’s chewy texture boils down to one thing: fat—specifically the ratio of saturated to unsaturated fat. By using both butter (a predominantly saturated fat) and unsaturated vegetable oil, we were able to approximate the same 1:3 ratio found in commercially engineered specimens to mimic their satisfying chew.”

So there you have it.  Using all granulated sugar and a mixture of vegetable oil and butter will give you moist, chewy, fudgy, dense, delicious brownies.  Is my quest over?  Yes and no.  These were a tad too sweet for me but other than that every flavor, texture, and chocolate chip was my favorite of all the recipes I have tried.  I’m sure if I reduced the sugar by a bit these would be perfect.  And yet I have a few more recipes that are begging for me to bake.  And thus, my quest continues.  Maybe not for the same purposes (finding the perfect brownie) but instead comparing my perfect brownie to others.  Maybe by some miracle I will find a recipe I like even more.

Chewy Brownies from Cooks Illustrated

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup dutch-processed cocoa
• 1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso (optional) – I used it.
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water
• 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups (17 1/2 ounces) sugar – I would definitely cut down.  I think 2 cups would be sufficient.
• 1 3/4 cups (8 3/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon table salt
• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into 1.2 inch pieces (or just use chocolate chips or chunks)

Directions

1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 350 degrees.  Make a sling using the following steps: Cut 18-inch length foil and fold lengthwise to 8-inch width. Fit foil into length of 13 by 9-inch baking pan, pushing it into corners and up sides of pan; allow excess to overhang pan edges. Cut 14-inch length foil and fit into width of pan in the same manner, perpendicular to the first sheet (if using extra-wide foil, fold second sheet lengthwise to 12-inch width). Spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Whisk cocoa, espresso powder (if using), and boiling water together in large bowl until smooth. Add unsweetened chocolate and whisk until chocolate is melted. Whisk in melted butter and oil. (Mixture may look curdled.) Add eggs, yolks, and vanilla and continue to whisk until smooth and homogeneous. Whisk in sugar until fully incorporated. Add flour and salt and mix with rubber spatula until combined. Fold in bittersweet chocolate pieces.
3. Scrape batter into prepared pan and bake until toothpick inserted halfway between edge and center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack and cool 1½ hours.
4. Using foil overhang, lift brownies from pan. Return brownies to wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.

King Arthur Flour- Double Fudge Brownies

Yes, another brownie recipe.  At this rate I should change my name to fulltimebaker, or more fitting: fulltimebrowniebaker.  I kind of like the ring of that.

Anyway, on to the important stuff.  The brownies.  This is the first recipe I tried in my quest that used cocoa powder instead of melted chocolate.  They were scrumptious, but a little on the dry side.  I think this is because I left them in the oven a tad too long.  Woops.

But regardless these were really good brownies.  The chocolate flavor was very pure, just like the brilliant people at King Arthur Flour promised it would be if I used dutch-processed cocoa powder.  Contrary to the title I actually thought these were more on the cakey side.  They were not too crumbly, but not the chewy I am looking for.  Maybe if I hadn’t overbaked them by a little they would be chewier, but I still doubt they would be as chewy as I want them to be.  I know, I’m so demanding.  I definitely think the flavor improved after an overnight rest, but then again there is nothing wrong with a warm brownie fresh from the oven.

Overall, a good brownie, but nothing outstanding.  Actually, King Arthur let me down a little.  I didn’t get the crispy crust they promised me if I melted the butter and sugar twice and they weren’t as moist as I had hoped they would be.  Maybe this means they warrant another try, but maybe when my quest is over.  It is going to take a bit of recuperation time to get back to my full-time brownie craving. Right now I could really only call my self a part-time obsessed with brownies as opposed to my usual full-time obsession.

KAF Double Fudge Brownies from this wondrous book.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks, 8 ounces) unsalted butter
• 2 cups (15 ounces) packed light or dark brown sugar
• 3/4 cup (2 1/4 ounces) dutch-process cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder (optional) – I used it.
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1 /2 cups (6 ounces) traditional whole wheat flour- I used white whole wheat.
• 2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350′F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch pan’
2. Melt the butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl or in a saucepan set over low heat.  Add the sugar and stir to combine.
3. Return the mixture to the microwave (or heat)briefly, until it’s hot and starting to bubble. Heating this mixture a second time will dissolve more of the sugar, which will yield a shiny top crust on your brownies.
4. Stir in the cocoa, baking powder, salt, espresso powder (if using) and vanilla. Cool the mixture until you can test it with your finger: it should feel like comfortably hot bath water.
5. Whisk in the eggs, stirring until smooth, then add the flour and chips, again stirring until smooth. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.
6. Bake the brownies until a sharp knife poked into the center reveals wet crumbs but not raw batter, 30 minutes. The brownies should feel set on the edges
7. Remove them from the oven and cool on a rack; cover when cool. Let sit overnight before serving; this gives the bran a chance to soften, giving the brownies a more pleasing texture.

KAF Brownies

And the quest continues.  I’m getting closer but I’m not quite there yet.  These were perfectly chewy, even after cooled for only a couple of hours.  They were a tad bit more cakey than I would prefer, but I’m not complaining, I mean I’m eating brownies for heaven’s sake.  Although they were cakey they were somehow fudgy and a little dense at the same time.  Don’t ask me how this is possible – could it be the brown rice syrup that I substiuted for corn syrup?  Yes definitely fudgy, I just tried another one to make sure.  Tee he.

On the second day they were just as cakey and they were also a little sticky.  When I stacked some on top of other ones they stuck to each other but the flavor more than made up for it.  These were not overly chocolaty and for some people (ahem, me) maybe not chocolaty enough.  But don’t listen to my chocoholic mumblings.  These are amazing brownies.  They taste like brownies.  You know what I mean?  They don’t taste like pure chocolate, they don’t taste like butter and flour flavored with chocolate.  They taste like brownies.  Really amazing brownies.  They are the kind of brownie that keeps you coming back for more… which might not necessarily be a good thing.  But then again who cares about bathing suit season when you could be eating delicious brownies?  In fact I might just go and eat another right now.  And chocolate chips made everything better, as they always do.  What I loved most about these brownies was how chewy they were, which was because of the addition of a liquid sugar, be it brown rice syrup or corn syrup.

King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion Brownies from this book

Ingredients

• 6 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
• 12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter
• 5 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 ½ cups sugar
• 1/3 cup (3 ¼ ounces) light corn syrup (I used brown rice syrup but I think using corn syrup would yield a crispier top- it’s something to do with the chemistry of sugar, I’ll elaborate more on my cook’s illustrated brownie recipe)
• 1 ½ cups (5 ¾ ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Directions

1. In a medium-sized saucepan, melt the chocolate and butter together over low heat. Set aside to cool slightly.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs, vanilla, salt, sugar, and corn syrup together until light and fluffy, which takes a few minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 375 and lightly grease a 9×13 inch pan.
4. Stir the flour into the chocolate and butter mixture. Fold the chocolate batter into the egg mixture, stirring to combine. Stir in optional ingredients, if using.
5. Spread the batter in the pan. For an extra-glossy top, brush with 1 tablespoon milk. Bake the brownies for 35 minutes; the top should be crisp, but a toothpick inserted in the center will come out coated with chocolate. Remove the brownies from the oven, and let them cool for several hours before cutting into squares.