Cook's Illustrated Classic Brownies

Since Emmeline has been born, I've had some extra calories to spare, so I've been looking for a favorite brownie recipe. I think I've found one, but I ruined a whole batch trying to use egg replacer so Asher could eat them. Sigh, eggs are necessary.

Chocolately with just the right consistency and that delicious crunchy, chewy edge of the pan. I'm not quite sure if this is my THE brownie recipe. I'm afraid more recipes will have to be attempted to know for sure.

Classic Brownies
Cook's Illustrated

1 c (4 oz) pecans or walnuts, chopped I didn't use these
1 1/4 c (5 oz) cake flour
1/2 t salt
3/4 t baking powder
6 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine
12 T (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 6 1-inch pieces
2 1/4 c (15 3/4 oz) sugar
4 large eggs
1 T vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325. Line 9x13 pan with tin foil (make sure there's extra over the lip of the pan) and spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Toast nuts if using.

Whisk to combine flour, salt, and baking powder in medium bowl; set aside.

Melt chocolate and butter in large heatproof bowl set over saucepan of almost-simmering water, stirring occasionally, until smooth. When chocolate mixtureis completely smooth, remove bowl from saucepan and gradually whisk in sugar. Add eggs one at time, whisking after each addition until thoroughly combined. Whisk in vanilla. Add flour mixture in three additions, folding with rubber spatula until batter is completely smooth and homogeneous.

Transfer batter to prepared pan; using spatula, spread batter into corners of pan and smooth surface. Sprinkle nuts evenly over better and bake until toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 30-35 minutes. Cool on wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours, then remove brownies from pan by lifting foil.

Keeps in airtight container at room temperature for 3 days, but I've never had them around for 3 days to know if this is true.

Basic Brownies

These brownies have such a nice flavor. I can't really describe it, but it reminds me of Cadbury chocolate or something. At any rate, they are easy and yummy. I just sprouted some wheat berries a few days ago and yesterday dehydrated them and ground them up to use for flour. Soooo worth it to make treats :)

Basic Brownies
from my friends Taryn and Corey

2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, roughly chopped
8 T. (1 stick) unsalted grass-fed butter (I used Kerrygold)
1 cup rapadura/sucanat/palm sugar
2 pastured eggs
½ cup sprouted flour (I used soft white wheat)
pinch sea salt
½ tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Butter and line with buttered parchment paper an 8-inch square pan. Set aside.
Combine chocolate and butter in a saucepan over very low heat, stirring occasionally. When just melted, remove from heat and continue stirring until smooth. Transfer mixture to a bowl and stir in sugar. Beat in eggs on at a time. Gently fold in flour, salt and vanilla.
Pour into prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake 20-25, or until barely set in the middle. Cool on a rack completely before refrigerating for at least 4 hours, wrapped. Then remove and cut into even squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Mini-egg Brownies (Sophia Gathering Version)

Mini-egg Brownies

16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into ¼-inch pieces
4 large eggs
2 cups rapadura
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup sprouted flour
one bag Cadbury mini-eggs

Set a rack in the middle level of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat and add the chocolate. Let stand 2 minutes, and then whisk smooth. If all the chocolate has not melted, return to very low heat and stir constantly until the chocolate melts.
In a large bowl, use a rubber spatula to stir one egg into one cup of the rapadura. Make sure any lumps in the sugar are dissolved. Add the remaining eggs, one at a time, stirring each in with the rubber spatula in the same way. Stir in the other cup of rapadura, then the vanilla and salt. Stir in the chocolate mixture.
Finally, fold in the flour, then 2 cups of the mini-eggs.
Prepare a 9x13x2 pan by buttering it and then lining it with parchment paper and buttering the parchment paper at the very last. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Scatter the remaining mini-eggs over the top of the batter.
Bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick or a small knife inserted into the center emerges clean. Cool completely on a rack.
Wrap and refrigerate the pan so that the cake solidifies completely, at least 4 hours but overnight is best. This also makes the cake easier to cut.
Transfer the whole cake to a cutting board and slide a long knife or spatula under it to loosen the paper, and then pull it away. Use a ruler to mark, and then cut the cake into 2-inch squares.
For up to several days, store the brownies between sheets of parchment or wax paper in a tin or plastic container with a tight-fitting cover. Freeze for longer storage. If you plan to keep the brownies for any length of time, it is better to wrap them individually.

Cookie Baking Extravaganza 2009: Cadbury Christmas Mini-Egg Brownies

You know how Cadbury Mini-Eggs are amazing? Well, they have started putting out a Christmas version only the candies are round and colored with green, red, and white. I made Mini-Egg brownies a few Easter's ago, and thought, why not Christmas brownies?

The reason any version of these brownies are good is due to the original recipe by Nick Malgieri. He makes a Pecan Brownie recipe to die for. These candy versions are the same recipe but with pecans omitted, and candy pieces replacing them. I put half the bag in the dough, and then sprinkle the other half on top so you can see the colors.

Cadbury Christmas Candy Brownies

16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into ¼-inch pieces
4 large eggs
1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup flour (I use whole wheat pastry flour)
one bag (10 0z.)Cadbury Mini-Eggs, or Cadbury Christmas candies, divided in half

1. Set a rack in the middle level of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat and add the chocolate. Let stand 2 minutes, and then whisk smooth. If all the chocolate has not melted, return to very low heat and stir constantly until the chocolate melts.
3. In a large bowl, use a rubber spatula to stir one egg into the brown sugar. Make sure any lumps in the sugar are dissolved. Add the remaining eggs, one at a time, stirring each in with the rubber spatula in the same way. Stir in the granulated sugar, then the vanilla and salt. Stir in the chocolate mixture.
4. Finally, fold in the flour, then half of the candy.
5. Prepare a 9x13x2 pan by buttering it and then lining it with parchment paper and buttering the parchment paper at the very last. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Scatter the remaining candies over the top of the batter.
   
6. Bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick or a small knife inserted into the center emerges clean. Cool completely on a rack.
7. Wrap and refrigerate the pan so that the cake solidifies completely, at least 4 hours but overnight is best. This also makes the cake easier to cut.*
8. Transfer the whole cake to a cutting board and slide a long knife or spatula under it to loosen the paper, and then pull it away. Use a ruler to mark, and then cut the cake into 2-inch squares.
9. For up to several days, store the brownies between sheets of parchment or wax paper in a tin or plastic container with a tight-fitting cover. Freeze for longer storage. If you plan to keep the brownies for any length of time, it is better to wrap them individually.

*I really do this step, and it makes a BIG difference in how they taste.