Mexican Brownies : Bon Appetit 5/03

[valchemist]

These brownies are really great. They are fudgy (not cake-y) and they have a special twist. The cinnamon in the batter and the chunks of Mexican chocolate provide an unexpected but wonderful flavor. And the interesting texture of the chocolate works well with the fudgy brownies.

If you have never tried Mexican chocolate, this is a great place to start. (I tried it and fell in love with it in Rick Bayless's Mexican Chocolate Streusel Cake.) Mexican chocolate is a dark sweet chocolate with cinnamon and grainy sugar crystals. Here is a link to a place where you can buy it online if you don't have an Mexican grocery store near you.

Buy Mexican Chocolate Here (http://www.mexgrocer.com/mex-grocer/brand-ibarra.html)

And here is a little bit more information on Mexican chocolate, for you curious foodies out there.

Info on Mexican Chocolate (http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/mexicanchocolate.htm)



* Exported from MasterCook *

Mexican Brownies

Mexican chocolate lends its distinctive flavor and texture to these scrumptious brownies.

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Desserts

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
5 ozs unsweetened chocolate
3/4 c butter
1 c sugar
3 eggs
1 c flour
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tbsp cinnamon
3 1/8 ozs Mexican chocolate* -- very coarsely chopped (one 3.16 oz disk)

Preheat oven to 325. Butter 8x8-inch glass baking dish. Stir chopped unsweetened chocolate and butter in saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Pour into medium bowl. Whisk in sugar. Whisk in eggs, then flour, vanilla, and cinnamon. Stir in chopped mexican chocolate and chopped toasted almonds.

Transfer batter to pan; smooth top. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out with fudgy crumbs still attached, about 30 minutes (do not overbake). Transfer to rack; cool. Cut into 12 squares. Serve brownies with vanilla ice cream and purchased fudge sauce.

Source:
"Bon Appetit, May 2003"

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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 324 Calories; 22g Fat (56.7% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 33g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 78mg Cholesterol; 134mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 4 Fat; 1 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.


*Ibarra brand. comes in a six sided container that contains five disks of the chocolate.



p.s. this is my 6000th post. :o :p

[slknight]

Hey Val, thanks for the review (and congrats on 6000!) I think I've got a bar of Mexican chocolate kicking around here somewhere. I can't find it around here, so had my parents bring me some from Virginia. But they only brought the one bar, and if I remember correctly, the Rick Bayless cake needed two, which is why I never made it. I think this might be a good recipe to try instead.

[ebobbitt]

WOW! I'm so impressed that you've already had time to make something out of the May BA! I was eyeing that recipe. Thanks for the report. I'm glad you're not doing the "no sweets" thing still -- I've missed those reviews.

Over the weekend I made the Chocolate-Mint Brownie Cake out of the April BA. It's very good. I made it yesterday and brought it to work today. I've only had a tiny taste. At least it's small enough that it will be gone from my office as soon as everyone arrives.

[wallycat]

Those look INCREDIBLE!

and happy 6000th :D ;)

[andrea]

these are the ones i made from epicurious (i think BA, also) they were AWESOME!!! i served with vanilla ice cream and the rum sauce but they didn't need it at all!

MEXICAN CHOCOLATE BROWNIES
3/4 stick (6 Tbl) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup whole blanched almonds, toasted until golden and cooled
2 large eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350°F. and butter and flour a 9-inch square baking pan, knocking out excess flour.
In a heavy 1 1/2-quart saucepan melt butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring, until smooth and remove pan from heat. Cool chocolate mixture 10 minutes.
In a food processor, process sugar and almonds until ground fine. Stir almond mixture into chocolate mixture and add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well with a wooden spoon until mixture is glossy and smooth. Stir in flour, salt, and cinnamon until just combined.
Spread batter evenly in pan and bake in middle of oven 25 to 30 minutes, or until a tester comes out with crumbs adhering to it. Cool brownies completely in pan on a rack before cutting into 16 squares. Brownies keep, layered between sheets of wax paper in an airtight container at cool room temperature, 5 days.

CARAMEL RUM SAUCE
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup whipping cream
1 1/2 tablespoons dark rum

Stir sugar and 1/2 cup water in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil until syrup turns deep amber, brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan occasionally, about 12 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add cream (mixture will bubble vigorously) and stir until caramel bits dissolve. Remove from heat. Mix in rum. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill. Before serving, rewarm over low heat, stirring occasionally.)

[doggerham]

Val - thanks for trying these first. I'll have to live vicariously through you for now (cutting back on sweets).

I do have several bars of Mexican chocolate that a friend brought back from Oxaca, where she attended the cooking school that'a first on the list in that one page article near the front of the magazine and has a picture of Susana Trilling. This issue looks like a keeper, as I am always interested in more authentic and regional Mexican food, instead of Tex-Mex (which is yummy, but a different animal altogether).

Amy

[badunnin]

Thanks for posting this Val! Mom's going to Mexico next month, and now I know what she can bring back for me!

[Jeanygirl]

Val, I made these, but the almonds are missing in the ingredient list. Quantity, type, etc... I just tossed in some sliced almonds 'cause I had'em.

Very fudgy and dense and moist. We'll see how they taste on day 2 :) For breakfast....

[KimKelly]

Val.... I'm so glad your doing sweets again!:)

Kim

[leightx]

Val - I think 6000 posts deserves some sort of award, or at least a feature article by CL!!!

[valchemist]

Originally posted by Jeanygirl
Val, I made these, but the almonds are missing in the ingredient list. Quantity, type, etc... I just tossed in some sliced almonds 'cause I had'em.

Very fudgy and dense and moist. We'll see how they taste on day 2 :) For breakfast....

oops. sorry. I left them out of the recipe when I typed it up since I didn't use them, myself.

the recipe calls for 1/2 cup of chopped toasted almonds. they are to be added when the Mexican chocolate is added.

(I would edit the recipe above, but I am not allowed becasue too much time has passed.)

[Kate B]

Thanks for the recipe! My copy of BA is currently with my mom and/or sister. I don't read it until everyone else is done. This will allow me to get a jump start on making something from it!

Val - 6000 posts? VERY impressive. Congratulations!

Kate

[erinl]

I made these for Soup Night last night and they were a big hit. You have to be expecting "different" brownies though. The texture threw me a little off, but I loved them by the second bite!:D I also cut them into 16 pieces, and that was plenty big. They are very rich. With 3/4 c butter and 3 eggs, these are definitely special occasion treats. Oh and I used the Abuelita brand of Mexican chocolate.

[Wendy w]

I just picked up the May issue last night but haven't been able to go through it yet. As a matter of fact, I haven't made anything from April or the May CL yet. I have been kind of in a cooking slump.

These brownies look great and I will have to make these for the Cinco de Mayo party at work. There are lots of Mexican markets in my area.

[valchemist]

Originally posted by erinl
I made these for Soup Night last night and they were a big hit. You have to be expecting "different" brownies though. The texture threw me a little off, but I loved them by the second bite!:D

I agree that these are quite different from regular brownies. They are very fudgy and moist -- not like a standard brownie. and then of course they have that cinnamon flavor to them.

I think I like the texture of the bourbon fudge brownies better. Those brownies were fudgy but they still had a cake-like crumb to them.

Anyway, I loved both the bourbon fudge brownies and these Mexican brownies. But they were each quite different from one another.

[Jeanygirl]

To each his own, I guess. The texture of these Mexican Brownies is my all-time favorite. I grew up eating Betty Crocker's Fudge Brownies, which have the very rich, dense, decadent texture that these do. *sigh*

The first time I tried more "cake-like" brownies, I was utterly disappointed. But then, I hate cake and it's very consistency and texture, so it figures, huh??

If anyone has anymore dense, fudgy brownies, I'm more than willing to test the recipes :)

[Lys]

I know that this is an old post - BUT I had to thank Val for posting this recipe. I made them for the first (and second) time this week and they were such a huge hit. I did a Tex - Mex dinner for a friend's going away last week and opted to make these brownies and they were a huge hit. I then made them to bring to work for a treat and they went over great. I think this is just a fantastic (and different) recipe and I love having another recipe to use Mexican chocolate!!! Thanks again!

[garden_girl_kp]

Hmmm, we have lots of Mexican Chocolate here,but any suggestions on lightening this recipe so the fat was lower? I know it would change the rich part of the recipe. I should probably just make it and eat some when I want a rich dessert.

Thanks for the recipe, Val.

Karen

[sherri]

Val, thank you for posting the link to Mexican Chocolate, I have looked everywhere with no luck. I just ordered some....
Thanks again.

[semmens]

VERY tasty!! And I'm one of those who always just uses a mix.

I didn't have a problem finding the Mexican chocolate; Genuardi's (owned by Safeway) carries it.

Laura

[valchemist]

glad you guys liked these as much as I did. they are definitely not your traditional brownies. but they are a great dessert in and of themselves.

[Jeanz]

so I went to the Epicurious web site to see what the reviews of these brownies were and the recipe was no longer posted. Naturally, I would find recipes and reviews on these boards!

I haven't tried them yet, but they just came out of the oven and they smell heavenly!

[semmens]

How funny...I just made these last night.

I had forgotten the original version calls for ice cream and rum sauce. I find them way rich as is and have never used any "accompaniments."

A shortcut: I melt the unsweetened chocolate and butter in the microwave (together) in a large mixing bowl. Less pans to wash! Just nuke it about 4 minutes on medium.

Laura

[Jeanz]

okay, these rated a 9+ by my SO and a 9 by me...

we could still taste the sugar crystals in the mexican chocolate but it gave it a neat texture!

I am taking them to a Brooklyn supper club tonight and SO is soo jealous.... I accidently put the cooling pan on a hot burner, causing the bottom of one side to burn, so I am leaving those with him instead!

I made these from the BA itself and there was no rum sauce attached to them. The BA calls for hot fudge sauce and ice cream, which I will not serve with it, because I don;t think the Smucker's hot fudge sauce would do it justice in complexity.