'Searching high and low for a cakey brownie?
Get yourself a chocolate cake then.' I was scouring the Internet for a good old
brownie recipe and visualizing how I would my brownies' texture to be like so I
would know the recipe I want. Yet looking at the first few pictures, it looked
to me that the brownies are too dense and I'm not particularly keen on eating
chocolate truffles so I went on to look for a recipe that have its brownies
more structure. Then I spotted some really cakey ones and I almost took them
when the line above hit me - I'm not looking for a chocolate cake but a
brownie, ain't I? So finally, I decided that I wanted a brownie with its chewy
and fudgey-ness just a little structure to differentiate it from a truffle or a
block of chocolate.
So I went to my reliable friend, Mr Google and blogs such as
Smitten Kitchen, Dorie Greenspan, etc. So exceptionally pleased was I when I
read about Smitten Kitchen's various posts on brownies throughout her years of
blogging and most recently, her favourite one. This is because one thing I've
learned through blogging, home bakers who blog about their experiences with a
particular recipe have no iota of incentive to lie about the outcome and so
honestly they'll blog about it, in hope that it'll be a recommendation not a
condemnation.
Deb's recipe is simple, ticks all boxes and exceeds
expectations. Is it that good? Yes it is. No fancy ingredients or tools needed,
just patience and love and after tasting it, you'll not regret doubling the
recipe. Good for thy tummy, not so for the waistline. Oops.
The brownies have the deep chocolate flavour that we all desire
and expect of a brownie, the right amount of fudgey-ness, just a little too
sweet for the Asian palette. Here's your brownie recipe if you're looking for
one; Try it.
My Favourite Brownies
(Adapted From Smitten Kitchen)
Makes 1 8×8 pan of brownies which you can cut into 16
2-inch squares (shown above), 25 smaller squares, or 32 2×1-inch bites, which
is what I usually do.
3 ounces (85 grams) unsweetened chocolate, roughly
chopped
1 stick (4 ounces or 115 grams) unsalted butter, plus
extra for pan
1 1/3 cups (265 grams) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt or 1/4 teaspoon table salt
(about 2 grams)
2/3 cup (85 grams) all-purpose flour
Heat oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8-inch square baking pan
with parchment, extending it up two sides, or foil. Butter the parchment or
foil or spray it with a nonstick cooking spray.
In a medium heatproof bowl over gently simmering water,
melt chocolate and butter together until only a couple unmelted bits remain.
Off the heat, stir until smooth and fully melted. You can also do this in the
microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each. Whisk in sugar, then
eggs, one at a time, then vanilla and salt. Stir in flour with a spoon or flexible
spatula and scrape batter into prepared pan, spread until even. Bake for 25 to
30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out
batter-free.
Let cool and cut into desired size. If you’re like me,
you will prefer these and all brownies, cold or even frozen. But I bet you’re
normal and will just eat them hot from the pan. If desired, dust the brownies
with powdered sugar before serving.
0 comments:
Post a Comment