Brownie recipe

[PieSusan]

Originally Posted by Alix

And the chocolate chips stay relatively intact. They don't spread and make the dough weird.

PieSusan, doing the brownies in jars was more for efficiency than anything else. We have family from New Jersey to Nanaimo and its just too hard to put anything in the mail thats cooked. It works great in jars though!

I bet the postage is a lot cheaper, too! Often, I choose to send things according to how well they will hold up in priority mail. However, I do have a friend who I think might like getting a jar and having to bake--being able to send a favorite recipe is so much better than buying the already prepared jars that one can buy in gourmet stores.

[PieSusan]

Originally Posted by uniqueenigma

My friend loves brownies. I want to send her some as part of a Christmas care package I'm in the process of putting together for her. Only catch is, I'm mailing them. She lives in Kentucky and I live in Florida, so the distance they have to travel isn't far.

I would prefer a recipe that produces a soft fudgy brownie, but one that is firm enough that it will be able to survive to its destination without falling apart. Also, if possible, I would prefer one with liquid coffee (hot and brewed) as part of the ingredient list. I don't drink coffee, but I just have a hunch that adding coffee that has been fresh brewed to the batter, enhances the flavor and moistness of the brownie. Only other request I have is that there is cocoa powder in the batter (sounds like an obvious request I know, but some call for squares of melted chocolate, others call for cocoa powder.......)

I only need a recipe that will make an 8" x 8" pan; that's it. Basically what it boils down to is I want a brownie recipe that is of a good texture and fudgy but suitable for mailing. No recipes with a fudge frosting or frosting of any kind please, as these are going to be mailed. If somebody could help me with this, I'd greatly appreciate it. Thank you!

Shirley O Corriher in BakeWise has two recipes from brownies. One is for cakey brownies and the other is for fudgy brownies. As she is a food scientist/chemist she explains what to do when making either kind of brownie. She also explains formulae so that you can understand by looking at a recipe whether or not it will work. It is a great book.

[Scotch]

For my money, there is no better version than the one that first appeared in the original 1931 edition of Joy of Cooking under the title "fudge squares." The amount of butter was reduced in later editions, and the recipe was renamed "Brownies Cockaigne" (Irma Rombauer used the term "Cockaigne" to designate her favorite recipes). They are simply the best, IMHO, without the silliness of many more "modern" versions that are all gunked up with peanut butter, caramels, chocolate chips, marshmallows, and other stuff.

Here's the very simple recipe with my slightly updated and expanded instructions:

BROWNIES COCKAIGNE

2 ounces bittersweet (baking) chocolate
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
2 eggs (room temperature)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Grease 8-inch X 8-inch square or 9-inch round cake pan.

3. Break chocolate into pieces and put in glass measuring cup; add butter; microwave on high about 30 second, just until butter has melted; remove from microwave and stir; if chocolate has not melted completely, return to microwave for 10 seconds, then stir again; repeat until chocolate is just barely melted; set aside to cool (do not use while still hot).

4. Beat eggs & salt with whisk in large bowl until light and foamy.

5. Gradually add sugar to eggs, whisking well after each addition; beat until very smooth, about 3 to 5 minutes.

6. Add vanilla to egg mixture and whisk until incorporated.

7. Add cooled chocolate and butter mixture to egg mixture; fold together with a rubber spatula.

8. Before chocolate and egg mixtures are completely mixed together, add flour; continue folding.

9. Before flour is completely mixed in, add nuts; continue folding just until mixture is evenly colored.

10. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 25 minutes; center will appear crusty but will be quite soft; brownies are done when they just begin to pull away from sides of pan.

11. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

[pacanis]

Here's the recipe I used.
I've got my doubts already.
They only covered the bottom of the brownie pan *maybe* 1/2"...
I can't imagine they will rise, but we'll see here shortly.

[Alix]

Which one pacanis? Scotch's recipe?

[pacanis]

Originally Posted by Alix

Which one pacanis? Scotch's recipe?

oops, yes.
I mentioned I was making brownies cockaigne in the what are you doing thread... I'm spreading myself thin, just like my brownies
They sure do smell good cooling off
And I suppose melted bittersweet chocolate and butter stains, doesn't it?
There goes another sweatshirt.

[taxlady]

Originally Posted by pacanis

oops, yes.
I mentioned I was making brownies cockaigne in the what are you doing thread... I'm spreading myself thin, just like my brownies
They sure do smell good cooling off
And I suppose melted bittersweet chocolate and butter stains, doesn't it?
There goes another sweatshirt.

Use it for cooking.

[pacanis]

Originally Posted by taxlady

Use it for cooking.

My cooking clothes are starting to outweigh my Sunday-go-meeting clothes