What if you have to host a party? A large one? Like thirty people coming over to you for dinner? Or a get-together with the old mates of your school? And let`s say you decide to make a dessert. But what can be done in the last minute with inexpensive ingredients and be at the same time a crowd pleaser? Brownies! Exactly.
Moist, cakey, fudgy. This Brownie has it all! Is there any point to say that it is heaven in one`s mouth? I think no. Don`t let the pictures fool you, I`m not a good photographer. :D Neither a food stylist, but I`m doing my best.
However, as it was my birthday and I already baked a Vanilla Chocolate Birthday Cake (see recipe here http://the-baking-drug.blogspot.ro/2014/02/vanilla-chocolate-birthday-cake.html) I had to put something different on the table to serve my guests. I searched in my cooking notebook and came across this recipe which I got from an international cafe in our town. As I said, it is inexpensive and pleases everyone.
I don`t know about you but I`m obsessed with brownies. And I`m not talking only about eating them. If I bite out of these little wonders, wherever it comes from, it has to be: delicious, moist, flavorfull, dense, rich and the texture needs to be good as well. You might think I`m a little too pretentious. Well, I`m sorry if that`s what you think but I`ve never seen a person who likes dry, sandpaper-ish brownies.
Look at this guy, he wants a bite too! :D
Luckily, I still have a few pieces left over and I am enjoying each mouthful right now. Don`t mind my stupid behavior.
So, leaving the jokes aside for a moment, I want to stress out the importance of the baking temperature in order to get a perfect brownie each time. You have to bake it at no more than 150 Celsius/325 F. I know it`s hard to wait a good hour or so until it bakes and another two or three until it cools so you can cut it. If you try to slice it while it`s warm...you are going to have a bad time. Been there, done that.
You might be a bit suspicious when you look at the top of the Brownie (I think this is the 1567-th time when I`m using this word), you can see something like a cream on top. It is cream indeed. Swiss Meringue Buttercream. I had some left over from a cake I frosted and didn`t feel like throwing it away, so I spread it thinly on the (cold) brownie. It was amazing! Of course, you don`t have to do that, as I used only a very small amount of cream and the recipe does not require it. But if you are feeling extra fancy, go check the previous recipe I made and you`ll see Swiss Meringue Buttercream there.
Ingredients:
11 eggs + 3 egg yolks
5 teaspoons vanilla extract
75o gr. unsalted butter or margarine
1 kg (2 lbs) granulated white sugar
3 cups (550 gr) all purpose flour
80 gr. unsweetened cocoa powder
35 gr. chopped white chocolate
110 gr. chopped walnuts or pecans
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1/2 tablespoon baking soda
Directions:
1. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. After it is completely melted, with no butter pieces in it, remove from heat and set aside.
2. Preheat your oven to 150 C/325 F and grease the bottom of a large baking sheet with parchment paper. I can`t really tell you the exact measurements but you can bake the Brownies in 2 smaller pans if you don`t a huge one.
3. In a very large, deep bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until thick and pale in color, about 5 miuntes. Pour the melted butter in a thin stream, beating constantly with the mixer on low until completely incorporated.
4.Add the sifted cocoa powder and vanilla extract, folding in gently. Incorporate the flour, espresso powder, walnuts, white chocolate and baking soda in 3(three) batches. Don`t over mix, but try to get rid of any lumps by incorporating the mentioned dry ingredients with slow, large movements.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared baking sheet (it is crucial to have it covered with parchment paper or you won`t be able to easly take out the brownies) and insert it into the oven.
Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake will come out with a few wet crumbs (not clean! if the toothpick comes out clean that means you baked the brownie too much). Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool completely in the pan before slicing.
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