Lunchbox Brownies
I'll let you in on one of the secrets of our process, one that has led to twenty books now: every time Bruce and I have written a cookbook, we've tried to strike a balance. Yes, among the number of ingredients--he, the chef, is always for way more than I, the writer. And yes, among our tastes--there are two of us here and one is more butter (I'm raising my hand) while the other is more olive oil.
But mostly, we try to come up with a "median recipe"--that is, the recipe that's the center of the book: not too far one way or the other, not too complicated, but not simple either. We build from there with recipes more complex and more simple. But we always begin by trying to figure out the balance point.
Maybe that's why the students in Bruce's knitting class are so excited about these brownies. They were the median point in our all-brownie book, THE ULTIMATE BROWNIE BOOK. A whole book about brownies? You bet!
These brownies travel well, store well, are a cross between the dense fudge ones and the airier cake ones. The median. And apparently a reason to get excited.
Begin by positioning the rack in the lower third of the oven and preheating the oven to 350F/175 C. Butter and flour a 9 x 13-inch (23 cm x 33 cm) baking pan.
Whisk 1 1/2 cups (360 grams) all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl.
Place 1/2 pound (2 sticks or 16 tablespoons--or 224 grams) unsalted butter and 4 ounces (115 grams) chopped unsweetened chocolate in the top half of a double boiler set over a pan of slowly simmering water. Don't have a double boiler? Improvise with a heat-safe bowl set over a saucepan of slowly simmering water. Keep the heat low so the water doesn't boil quickly. Steam is what you need to melt the chocolate evenly--and not a lot of it.
Stir until about half the butter and chocolate has melted, then remove the top half of the double boiler or the bowl from the saucepan below and continue stirring on the counter or in the sink until all of the chocolate and butter has melted. Cool 5 minutes.
Pour the chocolate mixture into a large bowl and add 2 cups (400 grams) granulated white sugar. Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed until the sugar has completely dissolved into the mixture, about 6 minutes. Beat in 3 large, room-temperature eggs one at a time until smooth. Why room temperature? Because cold eggs will not trap air as well--which is the whole point of all this beating in the first place.
Beat in 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract. With a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir in the flour mixture just until incorporated. Do not use the mixer. Remember the rule for almost all cakes, quick breads, and cookies: you can barely overbeat the sugar, eggs, and fat; but you definitely can overbeat the mixture once the flour has been added. No stretching of those glutens. Just stir until there are no white pockets of flour left in the mixture.
Spoon and spread the batter into the prepared baking pan. Then bake until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of the brownie cake comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 30 minutes.
Set the pan on a wire rack and cool for 1 hour. Cut the brownies into 24 pieces while they're still in the pan. Carefully remove them with an offset spatula. At this point, the brownies can be stored between sheets of wax paper in a sealed container on the counter for up to 3 days or can be frozen in a zip-closed bag for up to 6 months. The perfect treat any day of the week!
Mark Scarbrough | Posted on Tuesday, March 29, 2011 at 9:26AM | in Chocolate, Desserts, Fabulously Empty Calories
Reader Comments (5)
You two are so lucky to have each other! What a team you make.
Laura
I think the idea of a whole book about brownies is brilliant!
As much as I like your books, I don't think I will buy this one..
I can't afford the 20 lbs. I would more than likely gain..
sigh.
No wonder they are excited...eating brownies in a comfy yarn shop is pretty close to heaven! Pass the coffee and the double-points!
Listen, a brownie's worth that extra five minutes on the treadmill! But I hear you about the dangers of the book. It also has a chapter on brownie-mix doctor recipes. Pretty scary stuff.
And I think brownies in a yarn store sounds pretty cozy--and I don't even knit!!
M.
C'mon, does anyone actually believe those ladies are there to knit? :)