Brownies again!

Why I've suddenly acquired such an interest in brownies, I'm not sure. It started with my local farm shop asking me what American brownies were really like. And here I am on my third recipe.

First a note on the second recipe. I didn't like the consistency of the previous recipe and so cooked it again last week using double the chocolate. In fact, I received a chocolate bar with my copy of the Guardian last Saturday - dark chocolate with orange and fig. I didn't think that I'd eat it so I used it in the brownies. So here is the recipe again with the changes:

Ingredients

4 oz of dark chocolate (flavored if you like)(in fact the whole bar if you want to)
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1. In small saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate with butter, remove from heat and add vanilla; set aside.

2. In mixing bowl, beat eggs lightly. Gradually beat in sugar. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt; stir into egg mixture. Stir in chocolate mixture, then nuts.

3. Spread in greased 8-inch (2L) square pan. Bake in 350F (180C) oven for about 25 minutes (brownies should appear slightly under-baked in center). cool; front if desired. Makes about 16 squares.

Another Brownie Recipe

Guiniess and Walnut chocolate Brownies

Makes 16

Ingredients

145 g plain flour
80g unsweetened cocoa, plus a little extra for dusting
1/2 teaspoon salt
220g dark chocolate, around 70% broken into small pieces
90grams unsalted butter, cubed, plus a little extra for greasing
80grams light Muscovado sugar
80grams dark Muscovado sugar
4 eggs (at room temperature)
225ml bottled stout (IE. Guinness)
165g walnuts, in large pieces

1. Preheat oven to 170C (325F/gas mark 3) Grease a 23cm X 30cm X 5cm (9X12 inch) baking tin with a little butter, then dust with a little cocoa.

2. Sift the flour, cocoa and salt into a bowl. Melt the butter and chocolate in a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Remove from the heat and tip the sugars over the top. Leave for two minutes, then stir.

3. Beat in the eggs one at a time until you have a glossy mixture.

4. Stir in the stout (Guinness), then fold in the flour, cocoa and two thirds of the walnuts until just combined - don't over mix.

5. Pour into the tin and sprinkle over the remaining walnuts.

6. Bake for 25 minutes until just set in the middle - a skewer should come out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it.

7. Leave cool in the tin for 30 minutes before cutting into squares.

Brownies

I went into my local farm shop today. Have I mentioned the farm shop before? It's on one of the farms that was hit by foot and mouth last summer. I needed some fruit and veggies to last through to the weekend but I also wanted to take 4 banana muffins to Coral, the owner, who had kindly saved me a bunch of over ripe bananas (which of course I used to make the muffins). While I was there, I was asked about American brownies. What were they like? Were they like a chocolate sponge with chocolate chips? Well, no, I said, and promised to make them some for the weekend. I'm not sure why they are so interested. I wonder if they were thinking of selling some.

My favorite brownie recipe is Nigella Lawson's. However, it is very expensive to make. So, instead, I'm going to make one out of the Canadian Living Cookbook from years ago. I've never made it before so we will have to wait till tomorrow to find out what it's like!

Ingredients

2 oz of unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1. In small saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate with butter, remove from heat and add vanilla; set aside.

2. In mixing bowl, beat eggs lightly. Gradually beat in sugar. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt; stir into egg mixture. Stir in chocolate mixture, then nuts.

3. Spread in greased 8-inch (2L) square pan. Bake in 350F (180C) oven for about 25 minutes (brownies should appear slightly under-baked in center). cool; front if desired. Makes about 16 squares.

Chocolate Brownies for Christmas

Emma and I love some of Nigella Lawson's Chrismas recipes and in particular her brownies. They are to die for! So here we go:

SNOW FLECKED BROWNIES

Ingredients:
375g best quality dark chocolate

375g unsalted butter at room temperature at least

1 tablespoon real vanilla extract

6 eggs

350g sugar

1 teaspoon salt

225g plain flour

250g white chocolate buttons, preferably Montgomery Moore, or just chop same amount of good white chocolate

tin measuring approx 33cm x 23cm x 5.5cm

Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4/350F.
Line your brownie pan base and sides.
Melt the butter and dark chocolate together in a large heavy based pan.
In a bowl or wide mouthed large measuring jug, beat the eggs with the sugar and vanilla.
Measure the flour into another bowl and add the salt.
When the chocolate mixture has melted let it cool a bit before beating in the eggs and sugar, and then the flour.
Finally fold in the white chocolate buttons. Beat to combine smoothly and then scrape out of the saucepan into the lined pan. Bake for about 25 mins.
The brownies are ready, when the top is dried to a paler brown speckle, but the middle is dark and dense and gooey still; remember that they will continue to cook as they cool.