Tuesday, November 20, 2012

TWD: Best~Ever Brownies (hmmm...)

Tuesdays with Dorie baking through Baking with Julia
by Dorie Greenspan
Contributing baker: Rick Katz




These are good as far as brownies go - just not "best~ever" in my not-so-humble opinion. I prefer the recipe I make every year for my cookie tins - which freeze beautifully!

Not sure what Rick, the contributing baker means by "these can be frozen, but they never freeze solid, so you may want to think about using them as a mix-in for ice cream." Does this mean they don't hold there shape? Do they fall apart or turn to moosh? I won't know for I am dusting them with powdered sugar and sending them to work with the husband for the boys - they'll eat anything and not one is named Mikey.

The recipe calls for a nine-inch square cake pan; of course I have an 8 and a 10-inch. I went with a 9x13-inch pan and baked them for 30 minutes and they came out fine. If I was not distracted I would have baked these five minutes less for I like my brownies on the under-baked side.

It was hard, but I refrained from adding espresso powder as I do to the brownies I make at Christmas. I followed the recipe to a T other than using a different pan size as mentioned above and did not have any issues with the batter being runny as some of the other bakers had. The bake time must be incorrect in the book. I haved always baked brownies in a larger pan for the time allotted in the recipe.

The brownies are cake-like as opposed to gooey and chewy (how I like mine) with a slight crisp top. They are soft and light due to the whipping of the eggs. I would have liked the chocolate to be a bit more pronounced - maybe add a little cocoa powder (and espresso!).

All in all these are OK for everyday brownies.

Success meter (1-3): 2




Chocolate & butter.

Melt the chocolate and butter..

Add sugar..

Fold in the whipped eggs.

Add dry ingredients.

Place in unbuttered pan and bake away.
(I line the pan with parchment paper
for easy removal and slicing.)







If this post has intrigued you to make these yourself, you can find the recipe over at Monica's blog A Beautiful Mess, our host for the week.

One of the joys of cooking with a group is reading about all the different variations on the recipes. Do be sure to wander over to the Tuesdays with Dorie LYL link to see what the other bakers have come up with and to salivate over beautiful photos.

24 comments:

  1. I bet the boys will think they are the best. They turned out tall and fudgy, perfect with ice cream! Espresso would´ve been a good addition.

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  2. We used to have a dog named Mikey - we named him ironically. Instead of not eating anything, this dog would eat a lot of foods that one wouldn't expect a dog to like (like Brussels sprouts and broccoli).
    Fun picture arrangements. And I am sure the boys will be all over these...

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  3. I froze mine. I think yours would freeze solid because they turned out cakey. But, if they are underdone, as mine were, when they freeze, they are still soft enough to bite into. However, they do keep their shape. Yours look delicious!

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  4. LOVE that you served them with ice cream...that second to last photo is just gorgeous!!!

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  5. Fantastic pics! Loved them all, but loved the ones with brownies, mint and ice cream the best. The mint is a beautiful addition.
    I too had the urge to add espresso and cocoa powder to change this recipe....but then I remembered I don't do that to recipes I've never tried before!

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  6. I really like your step by step pictures. These were not the best-ever brownies for me either but they did taste pretty good.

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  7. Cathleen, your pictures are just wonderful and your "Best-Ever Brownies" turned out perfect, crumb and "crust" and all! The vanilla ice cream with a dusting of cocoa powder is a fantastic dessert picture!

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  8. Some bakers turned out gooey, some cake-like, were we all using the same recipe?

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  9. beautiful photos! I can't wait to try your favorite brownie recipe. It's pinned for future reference.

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  10. Gorgeous photos Cathleen! Good idea to substitute a 9x13 pan rather than the 8" square one I used... you obviously had your math thinking cap on. Thanks for sharing the link to your favorite brownies!

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  11. Ooh, espresso would be so nice in these. Amazing photographs.

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  12. Love how you served them... I'll take one right now! :)

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  13. I should have used parchment! Good idea.

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  14. These brownies really do cry out for ice cream, in my opinion. Something light and creamy to go with all their richness. You made some truly beautiful brownies! I love that crackly top. Nice work!

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  15. Your photos are beautiful. I also wanted to add a teaspoon of espresso powder, but stayed with the recipe. I froze about half of them because I was interested in his comment about them not freezing well and wanted to see if it is true, although mine are not as gooey as his I have a feeling.

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  16. Great looking brownies…with wonderful photos!! Ice cream and brownies what could be better? I love the idea of the espresso…I’ll have to keep that in mind!

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  17. Your pictures are great! Please help me out -- where do I find espresso powder? So many recipes call for it and I always end up using instant coffee -- which I am sure isn't nearly the same. Blessings, Catherine www.praycookblog.com

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  18. We loved this recipe, but seeing your beautiful presentation, made both of us want to bake them all over again. Great photography. Like yours, our brownies turned out more cake-like, not a problem in our house, because everybody loves them. Anyway you look at it, how can you go wrong with chocolate?

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  19. Great looking brownies! I heard others bake them in a larger pan and the baking time work out well. Great job!

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  20. I think brownies are definitely very personal. I think your look like they turned out well though :)

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  21. Mine turned out ok as well, but I agree with your comment that a stronger chocolate flavor would have been nice. I am going to try your espresso Christmas brownie recipe, it sounds wonderful! Your photography is beautiful.

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  22. I guess there are many who are like 'Mickey'...the office crowd is great for getting desserts eaten...Enjoyed seeing your photography. Excellent. My fav: the brownies with the glass of milk. Yes, indeedy! :) Will be making these soon...didn't get to them yet.

    Carmen

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  23. Yes! I totally agree! These brownies definitely needed a kick of espresso! More chocolate flavor!

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  24. I love to eat frozen brownies- if they have enough butter in them, they stay nice and soft (but cold)!

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