Hanaa very kindly suggested a new Brownie recipe for me to try recently, she said that she had baked them a couple of times in a couple of weeks, with a recommendation like that, how could I resist!
Unfortunately I used normal 55% chocolate to make the brownies, and think that by not using at least 70% I didn't do the recipe justice, they really needed a bigger cocoa punch. I also used half milk chocolate for the chunks which was another nail in the coffin of their chocolatiness (chocolate taster #1 usually prefers milk chocolate chunks, but would have preferred all dark this time too).
That said, these brownies had a wonderful texture, beautifully moist without any cakeness or sogginess, just perfect actually, and I imagine with a more powerful chocolate punch they would be truly wonderful.
Brownies
Adapted from Cooks Illustrated
1/3 cup cocoa
1 tsp instant espresso powder
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp boiling water
2 oz (55g) dark chocolate (at least 70%) finely chopped
2oz (55g) butter - melted
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 large eggs
2 egg yolks
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
6oz (165g) dark chocolate (again at least 70%!) chopped into pieces
Preheat oven to 180 C/350 F
Line a 9" brownie tin with parchment paper, or just butter it.
Whisk cocoa, coffee and boiling water in a large bowl.
Add 2 oz chocolate and whisk until melted.
Whisk in the melted butter and oil.
Add eggs and egg yolks, vanilla extract and whisk until totally blended.
Whisk in the sugars until well incorporated.
Add the flour and salt and combine carefully with a large spoon.
Scatter the chocolate pieces over the brownie mixture.
Bake 30 - 35 minutes - you know how to check it's right!
Allow to cool for 1 1/2 hours and then cut into nice big chunks.
Enjoy!
29 comments:
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Well they look rather perfect to me. Lovely pic too.
Just heading over to your blog Vick.
Thanks a million Granny, an experiment with white plate and background!
They do look very moist. All your food always looks good (and since I've tried a few of your recipes, I know they're good).
Thanks for your help with my tea party. It went pretty well. I have another one this month that I think will go a bit better since I'm preparing the food for this one. Your expresso loaves will definitely be on the menu!
We are milk chocolate lovers too but I always find brownies suffer for it. These days I make brownies with a half and half approach, half milk, half dark chocolate which seems to do the trick. They look great, can't wait to try them ;0)
It must be hell living at you house! Torturing folk with all these brownies...LOL.
They look fabulous :o)
Can you taste the coffee in the finished brownie? I see a lot of chocolate recipes with coffee and always avoid them as I hate coffee so much.
Those look awesome I am very jealous all my brownies look like bricks lol..I think most of it is not being use to the ovens still after three years in Germany. :)
dribbling...
Mmmmmmm. Now I have a craving for brownies!
Wow, you've made a lot of brownies! These look delicious(: I love the chocolate chunks.
one slice for me please!
M & M delighted everything went well.
Chele, personally I'd go for the highest % possible (in baking), #1 taster prefers the 55% though!! For just eating it has to be milk every time though!!
Rose - it's pure hell!!!!
CC, the coffee is supposed to make the chocolate taste more chocolaty, I'd start out with a pinch and see how you like it (worth a try!)
Tessie, I'm sure yours are lovely :-}, although I find that recipes that start by whisking the eggs and sugar until frothy are pretty foolproof.
Oh please have two Mr P!!
Dom, LOL!
PDNFTA, plenty of recipes here to try!!
Thanks Danielle.
I am going to bake these right now for work tomorrow - I like to bring stuff into the tearoom for the break - we need a lift in the HSE right now and chocolate makes you happy! And we have students on placement this week so we can show them how nice it is in the community - they'll go back to college with positive impressions! Thanks for commenting on son's grad over on my blog - have replied to you there.
all the best, Catherine
oh yum! this looks so rich and delicious. i love it.
They certainly LOOK wonderful and chocolatey. I'm glad you gave these a try!! I made them again not too long ago (yes, I really like them) and this time I used the amount of sugar specified (2.5 cups of white sugar instead of my adaptation of 2c white sugar and 1/2 c brown sugar), and they were a little too sweet for my taste.
I agree that the texture of these brownies is perfect. Like you said, you can always use darker chocolate to "up" the choc flavor without messing up the texture. I hope you make them again and report back how like version #2 of these brownies :o)
These definitely look delicious, and they are nice and substantial - my kind of brownie.
Catherine - hope the brownies work out well - the students might never go back!!
bbkd - Thanks!
Hanaa - thank you so much for the recipe, I totally agree that your alterations make a big difference :-}}
Cakelaw - Thanks for popping by.
Just to feedback - the brownies went down a treat and the students might have a totally warped impression of our work! They may think we drink tea and eat quality home-baking all day! (we do visit babies and run clinics and do dressings in between!) Modification - I put in a handful of chopped pecans - roughly chopped, more crumbled. I will post on my blog as I took some pics. Will credit you of course with the original recipe and thanks for sharing it!
Catherine
Now im on a cake free diet (only for a little while mind!) im reduced to torturing myself admiring pictures of yummy brownies like these. Thank goodness we dont have scratch and sniff screens, I think Id go demented!!!
Texture is important too so now you know how to kick it up to make it into the perfect brownie for you. The pics are lovely though.
http://deise-dispatches.blogspot.com/2010/11/comfort-zones-chocolate-pecan-brownies.html just blogged with photos of my brownies variation of yours - and credited you with links. Thanks a million! My socks are in there too, it's all feelgood stuff!
Catherine
they look fantastic! and I can totally understand your alterations...it's sometimes hard to find and expensive to get the higher cocoa content. But hey...chocolate is chocolate and it's all good
Catherine - delighted you like them, but I have to pass on all credit to Hanaa!! Love the socks!
FreeRange Girl - oh an apple would be just as nice! ;-}}
Bridgett - Thanks a million, not up to your standard but I'm trying!!
Danielle, totally agree - Chocolate is always good!!
They do look great. Brownies with the perfect texture are so addictive. I could practically eat the whole pan!
Those look amazing, I should try these. I've never actually made brownies from scratch, I'm ashamed to say, only from boxes LOL.
*kisses* HH
I could go for one of these right about now. Looks delicious!
These look decadent. I usually just use a box mix and add nuts and chocolate pieces. These are too good to pass up.
Oh my, this doubel chocolate brownie sound absolutely marvellous! Thanks for the recipe.
Kristy
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