My decadent fudgy brownie search is over (NOT LIGHT!)

[greysangel]

Boss' birthday is today and I know she loves brownies so I have been trolling everywhere trying to find the perfect brownie recipe. She also happens to be extremely picky and has a lot of food quirks...ie, no peanut butter/chocolate combo(scandalous), no cinnamon in baked goods (horrifying), and no fruity/chocolate combo ( :rolleyes: ). If any of you remember, last year I was busy coming up with the perfect yellow cake recipe to prove to her that homemade is better than boxed (I won that one) and this year's quest was to find the perfect fudgy unadorned brownie.

This is it from epicurious...simply called chocolate brownies...I call them Chocolate Heart Attack on a plate. :D :D

CHOCOLATE BROWNIES
"The Farm of Beverly Hills has the most incredible, delectable giant brownies!" says Cindy Grand of San Francisco, CA. "They taste more like fudge with a light, crunchy surface. Would you help me get the recipe?" These are probably the fudgiest brownies we've ever tried—in fact, they seemed too rich to serve in giant squares, so we've cut them smaller. They taste even better the day after they're baked.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 3 hr
3 sticks unsalted butter, cut into pieces
12 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped *(used Belgian Bittersweet chocolate)
6 large eggs
1 1/4 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, not Dutch process *(used Penzey's)
3 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
*1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 13- by 9- by 2-inch metal baking pan, knocking out excess flour. Melt butter with chocolate in a large metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove bowl from pan and whisk in eggs, 1 at a time. Sift together flour and cocoa powder in a separate bowl and stir into batter with sugar and salt. Stir in nuts. Pour batter into pan and bake in middle of oven until top is firm and a tester inserted into center comes out with crumbs adhering, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a rack, about 2 hours, before cutting into 20 squares.

Cooks' note: • Brownies keep, layered between wax paper in an airtight container, 5 days.
Makes 20 brownies

Gourmet
February 2000

You Asked For It
The Farm of Beverly Hills, Beverly Hills, CA

My Notes: I halved this recipe and cut it into 16 servings. Even with the buttering and flouring, I had problems getting them out of the pan so make sure to do this well.

I also crumbled up the first one in an attempt to get it out of the pan so of course I had to eat it and it's so sinfully rich and delicious that one really teeny one is enough. :eek: :o :D

Enjoy!

JeAnne

[penguin]

Wow, those do sound awesome and incredibly rich! I will have to keep them in mind for a special occasion. Thanks for sharing as always! ;)

[LaraW]

Originally posted by greysangel
Cooks' note: • Brownies keep, layered between wax paper in an airtight container, 5 days.


LOL, yeah, right - like these would make it 5 days! :rolleyes:

These look great - thanks for sharing!

[Shirley Panek]

I'm made-from-scratch-brownie-impaired, but these look so good I may have to try again! Thanks for posting. :D

[gertdog]

JeAnne,

The brownies sound incredible!

A great tip for getting brownies (and other baked goods) out of the pan intact, courtesy of Maida Heatter.

Take a length of aluminum foil, a few inches longer than the pan. Invert the pan and lay the foil over it. Press the foil onto the pan (yes, you'll be pressing it onto the outside, to create pan-shaped foil). Take the shaped foil off the pan, turn the pan over, and place the foil inside the pan, pressing it into the corners to fit. Spray the foil with nonstick spray (okay, Maida uses melted butter). Bake your brownies or whatever in this pan. When they are baked and cooled, invert the pan onto a baking sheet or cutting board, peel off the foil, invert again, and voila! A perfect cake, no crumbles to waste (or taste :p )! Not that there's anything wrong with tasting!!! I am just impressed that you stuck to one. :)

This above tip may sound anal and time-consuming, but it really only adds about a minute, total. And it works every time.

[lindrusso]

Now JeAnne, that's one recipe you could have just kept to yourself! :p ;) Mmmmm...

One tip on brownies that are hard to get out of the pan. You can put a piece of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan, letting the ends drape over the sides. When they have cooled sufficiently, you can grab the ends and lift the brownies out! Helps quite a bit! Even just a piece that lays on the bottom will help - I do this with cakes too.

[greysangel]

oh ...i think i stuck to one because I was doing this at 6:30am while I was still asleep. Had it been later in the day, I probably wouldn't have been so lucky :D I was awake enough to appreciate the rich chocolately goodness however!

JeAnne

[Searcher]

JeAnne, These brownies aren't light either and we love them. Check out the recipe, there's a really neat way of easily getting them out of the pan. Not too much trouble.

Chewy, Fudgy Triple Chocolate Brownies
Makes sixty-four 1” brownies



Either Dutch process or natural cocoa works well in this recipe. These brownies are very rich, so we prefer to cut them into mall squares for serving. Note: the recipe calls for chopped chocolate but I just cut into squares and the chocolate melted just fine.


5 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into quarters
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
3 large eggs
1 ¼ cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup all purpose flour

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick vegetable spray. Fold two 12-inch pieces of foil, lengthwise, so they measure 7 inches wide (turn under 2 ½ inches on each short side). Fit one sheet in bottom of greased pan, pushing it into corners and up sides of pan; overhang will help in removal of baked brownies. Fit second sheet over first on the unfoiled sides in the same manner (all of the pan should be covered with foil with ends hanging over sides) Spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In medium heatproof bowl set over a pan of almost simmering water, melt chocolates and butter, stirring occasionally until mixture is smooth. Whisk in cocoa until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.

3. Whisk together eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt in medium bowl until combined, about 15 seconds. Whisk warm chocolate mixture into egg mixture; then stir in flour with wooden spoon until just combined. Pour mixture into prepared pan, spread into corners and level surface with rubber spatula; bake until slightly puffed and a toothpick inserted into center comes out with a small amount of sticky crumbs, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours, then remove brownies from pan using the foil “handles”. Cut into 1-inch squares and serve. (Do not cut brownies until ready to serve; brownies can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated up to 5 days.


Cook’s Illustrated June 2000

[pilgrim719]

Originally posted by Searcher


Chewy, Fudgy Triple Chocolate Brownies
Makes sixty-four 1” brownies



Are they kidding?? That'll be the day that I divide my 8" square pan of brownies into 64 pieces! :rolleyes: Now maybe I could get 64 bites out of an 8"square pan... :D
Great looking recipe, though, thanks for sharing it Searcher! And thanks also to JeAnne for the recipe and review of the Chocolate Brownies -- they sound perfectly fudgy and rich, just the wat I like my brownies! Heat one up a bit in the microwave and I'll be in heaven!! :)

Kari

[Lrimerman]

Here is another recipe for "heart attack on a plate" brownies. But they are oh so good.

Lisa

Aunt Evelyn's Brownies

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 24 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Baked Goods Desserts

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 sticks butter -- (8 oz)
4 unsweetened baking chocolate squares -- (4 oz)
4 eggs -- at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour -- sifted

In a 9 x 13 pan, with the oven at 200 degrees, melt two sticks of butter and 4 squares of chocolate. It takes about 10-12 minutes. When melted, blend with a spatula, and set aside to cool. Use this pan later to bake brownies.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, with electric mixer, beat until almost light and fluffy four eggs at room temperature. Add and beat until well mixed salt, sugar and vanilla extract.

Now, pour and mix in the melted butter and chocolate mixture, followed by flour (add flour gradually). Mix until well blended

Pour the batter into the pan used to melt the butter and chocolate. Bake in 350 degree oven for 25 minutes. Test with a toothpick. Toothpick should be almost clear when removed. A little residue is good.

Allow to cool for 30 minutes, cut into small squares

[slknight]

Originally posted by pilgrim719


Are they kidding?? That'll be the day that I divide my 8" square pan of brownies into 64 pieces! :rolleyes: Now maybe I could get 64 bites out of an 8"square pan... :D


My jaw just dropped. I am truly speechless. 64 brownies from an 8x8 pan. I have trouble getting 16 out of one!
:confused: :confused: :( :o

[Searcher]

I neglected to say that we cut our brownies into big, honkin' squares. Not long ago, I watched an episode of America's Test Kitchen with Chris Kimball on PBS. I can't remember who made the brownies for him but he had a fit at the idea of eating a one inch square and had about the same size as my husband demands. I was happy to see Chris wanted more. They don't mention that in the recipe though.

[Gracie]

Can someone tell me what is Dutch process cocoa and what is natural cocoa? And why can't you use Dutch process for some of these brownies?

I just want to make sure I have the right things!

Loren

[greysangel]

Loren;

I'm pretty sure the penzey's cocoa is dutch process. Tasted fine to me :D

j

[slknight]

Originally posted by Gracie
Can someone tell me what is Dutch process cocoa and what is natural cocoa? And why can't you use Dutch process for some of these brownies?



Loren, here's some info about cocoa. The Dutch process cocoa has a slightly different chemical makeup so it can affect how some recipes turn out. From epicurious:

cocoa powder
[KOH-koh]
Both CHOCOLATE and cocoa powder come from cocoa beans that grow in pods on the tropical Theobroma cacao tree, which is found in Southeast Asia, Africa, Hawaii, Brazil and other South American countries. Once cocoa beans are fermented, dried, roasted and cracked, the nibs are ground to extract about 75 percent of the cocoa butter, leaving a dark brown paste called chocolate liquor. After drying again, the hardened mass is ground into the powder known as unsweetened cocoa. The richer, darker Dutch cocoa has been treated with an ALKALI, which helps neutralize cocoa's natural acidity. Cocoa powder is sold plain or mixed with other ingredients such as milk powder and sugar, forming an instant cocoa mix. Cocoa mixes should not be substituted for cocoa powder in recipes. Store cocoa powder airtight in a cool, dark place for up to 2 years.


JeAnne, don't know which cocoa you used from Penzey's, but they do sell both kinds.

If you're buying Hershey's, the regular cocoa is in the brown can, and the dutch-process is in the silver can (kind of hard to find around here so I order from Penzey's).

[Gracie]

Thanks Susan. Who knew that lil ol' Hershey's had Dutch process too along with the more expensive brands? I've never known to look for Dutch process but I will now.

I can add Dutch process cocoa to the list of ingredients that I've learned about from this BB along with chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, Meyer lemons, lemongrass, etc! :cool:

Loren

[ShanaG]

JeAnne I made these brownies last night to satisfy the chocolate craving I’ve had for the past week. They are truly decadent! Thank you for sharing! Hopefully I can muster the discipline to refrain from eating too many until SO returns from his business trip:)

[LonghornGal]

Hi all,

Figured I should bump this thread in case there's any new folks who haven't seen the Farm Brownies recipe.

I am making these brownies for a Superbowl party, and OMG I can tell they're gonna be great. The batter is like a truffle... so good. The smell from the oven is incredible. I'm hoping these brownies cement my cooking reputation with the party crowd. :)

Be warned, don't look at the nutritional value in Mastercook. You're better off not knowing. Although they're not nearly as bad as polishing off half a box of Peanut Butter Patty girl scout cookies on your way home from the Supermarket. (sigh - had to tell my roommate "HIDE THESE" and am now safe.) :D

--Kristin

[badunnin]

Kristin - I just looked this recipe up myself! I'm sending them (wisely, I believe) to England for a friend's birthday "cake" and I can't wait to taste them for myself. If only I had bought cake flour during my grocery shopping trip today....

[Angelina]

I just made them from Martha Stewart's Feb. Living Magazine, which I regularly 'borrow' from my Mom. They are sooooo good. Like a Mound bar, which is my favorite candy bar (that means I'm sexy :D )

Angela

[Lrimerman]

Can you post the Coconut Swirl Recipe? Sounds good.

Lisa

[Angelina]

Please bear with me, as I don't have Mastercook...ok, here we go:

Coconut Swirl Brownies
Martha Stewart Living, Feb. 2004

For the Batter:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus a little more to butter pan
2oz unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
4oz semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup all purpose-flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the Filling:

2 tablespoons granulate sugar
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a buttered 8 inch square pan with foil or parchment paper (I just realized I didn't butter the pan, but only the foil...had no problem in getting the brownies out), allowing 2 inches to hang over sides. Butter lining (excluding overhang); set pan aside.

2. Make batter: Put butter and chocolates in a heatproof medium bowl set over a pan of simmering water; stir until melted. Let cool slightly.

3. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in separate bowl and set aside.

4. Whisk granulated sugar into chocolate mixture. Add eggs and whisk until mixture is smooth. Stir in vanilla. Add flour mixture; stir until well incorporated.

5. Make filling: Stir together sugar, condensed milk, coconut, egg, and vanilla in a medium bowl; set aside.

6. Pour one-third of batter into prepared pan, and spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Place dollops of coconut filling (about 1 tbsp each) about 1 inch apart on top of batter. Drizzle remaining batter on top, and gently spread to fill pan. Place dollops of remaining filling on top.

7. With a butter knife, gently swirl filling into batter, running knife lenghtwise and crosswise through layers. Bake until a cake tester inserted into brownies (avoid center and edges) comes out with a few crumbs but is not wet, about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly in pan, about 15 minutes. Lift out brownies, let cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into squares.

I copied this exactly, and if anyone can find the missing third of batter, let me know! See step 6.. :confused:

Anyway, they are really really good. :)

[Angelina]

I am going to try the Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies next...same idea as the Coconut Swirl, but with..peanut butter! ;)

[LonghornGal]

Update...
So I removed the brownies from the pan (used that foil trick...) It's been 2 hours but the insides are still to gooey to cut. So I popped in in the fridge. But before doing that, I trimmed off the edges as they got a teensy bit crispy (shoulda stopped at 43 minutes instead of 45 :rolleyes: ) OMG, I could make myself really ill pigging out on these. Even the crispy edges were rich and the part right next to the edge, that I accidentally (oops) cut off too, was soo rich and moist and fudgey. mmmmmmm....

Please please please let them be cuttable soon! Then I must hide them from myself and definitely from my roommate or there will be none for the party! :)

--Kristin

[funniegrrl]

A few weeks ago the cover article of the food section of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution was on brownies. The offered several recipes, but one of the most interesting tricks they found from an expert was that all brownies -- even those from a mix -- come out better if you have the cold ingredients (like eggs) really cold when you mix them, AND if you refrigerate the batter before baking, preferably overnight. They said it gave the centers a bit more fudgy texture and the tops a bit more crackle.

P.S. I use the parchment-in-the-pan trick for all bar cookies. It's a professional baking trick. You can easily invert onto a cutting board and cut them up. I don't really like "edge pieces" so I even trim all the edges off, and this technique makes it really easy.

[Kathy B]

Originally posted by Angelina
I copied this exactly, and if anyone can find the missing third of batter, let me know! See step 6.. :confused:



Angelina,

I am sure you are supposed to put 1/3 of the batter on the bottom, add the filling and then put the remaining2/3 on top. Sometimes if you divide the batter in half, and put the filling in the middle, it seems like it rises close to the top while baking. If you do 1/3 batter, filling and rest of batter, it will end up more in the middle. I have a streusel coffee cake I make, and that has been my experience with that recipe. Hope that helps!

[Angelina]

Ahhh...yes, that makes sense. I thought I had to layer one third, the coconut, another third, more coconut, and then I was wondering what to do with the last third! But it came out good. Now if only my husband would get home already with the milk I asked him to buy...:D

[LonghornGal]

One final note on the Farm Brownies. These might be too rich. As I have never said or thought such a thing in my life, I am unsure. It might also be that I cna't remember the last time I even bought butter, let alone used 3 sticks of it in something. So that might be why my mouth said "whoa! holy smokes!" But seriously, even a 1 x 2 inch "nibble" had me saying enough. Delicious, but rich rich rich. Maybe what it needs is some Ice Cream on top!

Anyways, I'm sure these will be a hit at the party. Thanks!

--Kristin

[golden1225]

Check out this month's issue of Cook's Illustrated. There is an article on brownies - sounds yummy! I plan on trying it, but must wait until company is coming so I don't eat them all myself! I'm quite sure one square would use up most of my WW points for the day!
:)

[JLS]

Angelina,
did you use unsweetened coconut? If so, where'd you find it? I think I may try the recipe...but not sure if I could find unsweetened coconut...would sweetened be too sweet?

TIA!

[pilgrim719]

Originally posted by JLS
Angelina,
did you use unsweetened coconut? If so, where'd you find it? I think I may try the recipe...but not sure if I could find unsweetened coconut...would sweetened be too sweet?

TIA!

I find my unsweetened coconut in the bulk section at Whole Foods. Not sure if you have one near you or not. As for using the sweetened coconut in the brownie recipe, maybe is you did you could just leave out the 2 Tbsp sugar to cut back on the sweetness a bit.

Kari

[Angelina]

I found unsweetened coconut in an Asian food market near me. I think sweetened coconut and the condensed milk together might make it too sweet. But it's worth a try! After all, it was very sweet anyway. :)

[badunnin]

Alright, finally tried the Farm Brownies. Oh my Gordie are they good! I cut the sugar down to 2 1/2 cups, and I think next time (and there WILL be a next time!) I'll cut the butter down as well. I have to say my stomach turned a bit when I foodsavered them (is foodsavering a verb now? Huh.) and it started pulling butter out of them. I think the 20 servings it suggests make 20 very generous servings!

[nester]

I made the Farm brownies for a Superbowl party yesterday, and they were outrageous. Chewy, Fudgy -- great edge pieces (which I happen to love :D ). Upon final analysis, however, they were too rich for my blood. I woke up in the middle of the night all hot and dry-mouthed, heart pounding, and today I have a pretty wicked sugar hangover. So these are probably a 1x yearly recipe for me.

Badunnin, I'll be curious to see how they turn out with less sugar and butter. They were actually a little greasy to the touch -- I was thinking about cutting back, too.

Laura

[badunnin]

Originally posted by nester
Badunnin, I'll be curious to see how they turn out with less sugar and butter. They were actually a little greasy to the touch -- I was thinking about cutting back, too.

Laura

Laura - they are great with only 2.5 cups (only!) of sugar. I agree that they are a bit greasy to the touch. Yes, it contributes to the fudginess, but still.

[LonghornGal]

Laura, Badunnin, I am with you on the "too much" for those brownies. Alas, I must continue to try new recipes. :D

--Kristin

[RebeccaT]

I brought these brownies to a SB party last night, and I agree with the folks who said "too rich for my blood!" DH declared them the perfect brownie texture-wise, but even he could only eat one (this is a man who normally can eat a half a pan of brownies at one sitting!)

I think I will stick with the Outragous Brownies from Barefoot Contessa. But I am really glad I tried these! :)

[greysangel]

I'm going to have to try the Barefoot contessa brownies...

maybe with with some Ben and Jerry for my birthday :D

j

[Kathy B]

Originally posted by greysangel

CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

3 sticks unsalted butter, cut into pieces
12 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped *(used Belgian Bittersweet chocolate)
6 large eggs
1 1/4 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, not Dutch process *(used Penzey's)
3 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
*1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 13- by 9- by 2-inch metal baking pan, knocking out excess flour. Melt butter with chocolate in a large metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove bowl from pan and whisk in eggs, 1 at a time. Sift together flour and cocoa powder in a separate bowl and stir into batter with sugar and salt. Stir in nuts. Pour batter into pan and bake in middle of oven until top is firm and a tester inserted into center comes out with crumbs adhering, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a rack, about 2 hours, before cutting into 20 squares.

Cooks' note: • Brownies keep, layered between wax paper in an airtight container, 5 days.
Makes 20 brownies



Looking this recipe over it looks very similar to one I posted a while back, only with a LOT more butter and eggs! The recipe I have is fudgy, but not "incredibly fudgy". There is alot of room to adjust between 2 eggs and 6 eggs or 2/3c. butter and 1&1/2 c. butter, so you can probably adapt them easily to suit your taste. These are the only brownies I make, (and they seem pretty rich to me)!

Ultimate Double Chocolate Brownies

3/4 c. baking cocoa
1/2 tsp. soda
2/3 c. melted butter/oleo, divided
1/2 c. boiling water
2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1&1/3 c. flour
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional)
2 c. semi-sweeet chocolate chips
Powdered Sugar

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13x9 baking pan.

2. In large bowl, stir together cocoa and baking soda; stir in 1/3c. melted butter. Add boiling water; stir until mixture thickens. Stir in sugar, eggs and remaining melted butter. Stir until smooth. Add flour, vanilla and salt; blend completely. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts if desired. Pour into prepared pan.

3.Bake 35 - 40 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Do not overbake. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar. Makes 3 dozen.

[cniles]

I made the Outrageous Brownies by BC for a Superbowl party - I found these too rich for me!! 1 lb of butter - OMG. I cut them into really tiny squares because they were so rich. But I couldn't eat them.

I think I'm going to try the recipe from Cook's Illustrated this month. It looks really similar to one my mom used to make when I was little - and not to over the top!!! If anyone tried these first please post a review!!! Thanks!

[badunnin]

Originally posted by LonghornGal
Laura, Badunnin, I am with you on the "too much" for those brownies. Alas, I must continue to try new recipes. :D

--Kristin


Oh don't get me wrong! I love them to death, but they were a bit greasy. I prefer bitter chocolate to sweet, so that is why I personally dropped the sugar a bit. I think if you prefer milk chocolate, full sugar may be the way to go. ;)

[MKSquared]

I love these. I used some Callebaut bittersweet chocolate in them, and I love the dark chocolate flavor of these. I'd even go with Bethany and drop the sugar down a little bit to get it even less sweet. Seriously, the best brownies I've ever had.

Who says it's bad to have something so rich it limits the quantity you can eat? :D

(And Bethany? Told you they were good.:))

[RebeccaT]

Originally posted by MKSquared
Who says it's bad to have something so rich it limits the quantity you can eat? :D


Good point, and for the sake of DH's waistline, I was glad for this. But I couldn't even eat one! :( :(

The flavor was fantastic, though.

[ErinM]

I'm planning on making the Farm brownies tonight for a birthday "event" (I'm in community theater. It's our director's birthday, so we're getting together to do costumes, eat brownies, and go out afterwards)

What do you recommend? Should I make them as is? She's all for rich and decadent...or should I cut down the sugar/butter? If so, by how much? I also bought 2 bars of bittersweet chocolate and one of dark sweet chocolate just for kicks. Any advice from those who've tread down this path before?

[MKSquared]

Erin, if it's your first time making them, I'd go all-out. That way, you get a base from which to work. They're quite good, very rich. I loved the way they tasted with the bittersweet chocolate, and I'd never substitute anything sweeter without decreasing the sugar. Definitely line the pan with foil or parchment, though - and cut the squares smaller than the 20 pieces it could yield you. Have fun!

[Kuvy]

JeAnne - - is it your birthday soon??
:o

'Fess up!!


Happy birthday!!!:p :D

[greysangel]

My birthday is the 24th :D :D :D

It's a debate on what to have, but there will be Ben and Jerry's involved :o It's either these brownies with some B/J or Haagen Das Cinnamon orrrr Jen mentioned in another thread something about B/J chunky monkey sandwiched between oatmeal raisin cookies. So I may have to try some kind of chunky monkey oatmeal pie. But chocolate....hmmmm too many choices :D

j

[Kuvy]

;) LOL! ;)

Boy do I ever hear ya.

[greysangel]

although the chocolate banana combination is good too (thinking like banana creme tart) Maybe a chocolate hazelnut crust with chunky monkey ice cream and whipped cream melted bittersweet on top? mmm

[Kuvy]

JeAnne, you are cracking me up. Mainly because this sounds like the kind of thing I do - allow mysef WHATEVER I WANT for my BDay.

Wasn't there a banana-sour-cream toffee-pie/cake thing on this BB lately?
The search engine isn't working for me or I'd track it down. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm that sounded amazing

[ErinM]

Aw geez, that's what you get for trying to post from home during lunch! My post never posted!

Anyway, I had been saying...

Thanks MKat for your suggestion. I'll definitely do it up tonight. It is for a birthday after all....and I know there are alot of people out there who eat way worse stuff than I do...they probably won't think they're too rich at all!

If I line the pan with foil, do I still need to butter it??? This will be the first time I've ever done that...my plan was to take them in the pan. Makes for easier transport when there's a Shih Tzu in the car!

[RebeccaT]

Erin, when I made them I used cooking spray on the foil, and then floured the sprayed pan. Worked like a charm. :)

[ErinM]

Well, if the brownie batter is any judge, these are going to be SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO good!!!!

:D :o :D

[claire797]

My favorite brownies are still the Outrageous ones, but The Farm brownies are good too.

I stumbled across another recipe in a Mrs. Fields book for "Flourless Chocolate Brownies". Has anyone tried a flourless brownie?