brownies

March 16th, 2011

I wanted to make a little something for all the people who helped us out while we were gone on our trip (thanks guys!), so I made two big batches of brownies. Nick Malgieri’s supernatural brownies have been my basic recipe for a few years, mostly because it has a ton of chocolate in it and not very much flour–because really it’s not about eating cake it’s about eating chocolate buttery goodness. They were good, but not as good as I remembered. Luckily I just found a brownie recipe with just as much chocolate and even less flour (1/4 cup) in David Lebovitz’s new book Ready for Dessert. These I might not share at all.

And I found these perfect little plates to put the brownies on while I was at the thrift store. They look Dutch, don’t they? but they actually say Lad n’ Lassie on the back. So, Happy St. Patrick’s day I guess? Now go make some brownies.

Supernatural Brownies

from the New York Times

2 sticks (16 tablespoons) butter, more for pan and parchment paper
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup dark brown sugar, such as muscovado
1 cup granulated sugar (I would say 1/2 cup is probably enough, unless you use super crazy dark chocolate)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or 3/4 cup whole walnuts, optional.

1. Butter a 13-by-9-inch baking pan and line with buttered parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In top of a double boiler set over barely simmering water, or on low power in a microwave, melt butter and chocolate together. Cool slightly. In a large bowl or mixer, whisk eggs. Whisk in salt, sugars and vanilla.

2. Whisk in chocolate mixture. Fold in flour just until combined. If using chopped walnuts, stir them in. Pour batter into prepared pan. If using whole walnuts, arrange on top of batter. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until shiny and beginning to crack on top. Cool in pan on rack.

Yield: 15 large or 24 small brownies.

Posted in food/recipes.

10 Responses to brownies

  1. Abby Glassenberg says:
    March 16, 2011 at 1:42 pm

    Just made ’em. The kids are eating them right now. Awesome and a good recipe to make with their help. Stella loved all the mixing. She wants this as her birthday cake.

  2. Carla says:
    March 16, 2011 at 8:46 pm

    Yum! My go-to brownie recipe is Nigella Lawson’s triple chocolate brownies, lots of chocolate butter goodness. Now I’m going to have to try these ones, so much for “healthy eating”

  3. UK lass in US says:
    March 16, 2011 at 9:49 pm

    Surprisingly enough, I don’t think that I could face another brownie right now… It’s my son’s birthday and they only allow store-bought treats at his school. There were some leftovers. Note, I said WERE…

    Don’t worry, I’m sure I’ll be back to normal by tomorrow…

  4. Nalisha Healy says:
    March 17, 2011 at 4:09 am

    YUM!! I haven’t made brownies for ages….i’m going to do it right now!!

  5. oonaballoona says:
    March 17, 2011 at 6:42 pm

    umm, i promise to send you really good thoughts next time you’re out of town if i get those brownies. ‘kay?

  6. ingrid says:
    March 17, 2011 at 7:19 pm

    I baked brownies yesterday too! Mine were for my neighbours birthday.
    My recipe is always a bit too gooey, I think I will give yours a try next time.

  7. Tanja says:
    March 22, 2011 at 1:10 pm

    These are absolutely the best brownies ever! Thanks!

  8. hayley l. says:
    March 22, 2011 at 1:49 pm

    Hi Meg!
    Give the cocoa brownies with browned butter and walnuts from the Feb issue of Bon Appetit a whirl. They are all sorts of fudgy goodness. Hope you’re well.