PERFECT BROWNIES

Taste and Create was started as a food event by Nicole from For the Love of Food.  The whole purpose of Taste and Create was, and has been, and continues to be to create a community of bloggers who test each others’ recipes and share links. The participants of the event are paired together and try a new recipe from one another’s blog.  My partner this month is Laura from Tasteful Diversions. I spent a lazy afternoon perusing her recipes and was intrigued by her recent brownie recipe.  Laura had adapted the recipe from Cook’s Illustrated and I opted to follow her version.  These brownies were awesome.  Hubby gave them 2 thumbs up!  I added a Mocha cream cheese frosting and they really were perfect!
 PERFECT BROWNIES 

1/3 cup Ghiradelli unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water
2 ounces Baker’s unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons safflower oil
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cup sugar
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
6 ounces dark chocolate chips (those melty ones you get in bulk to make fondue with at the grocery store) I used Whole Foods brand

  • Preheat oven to 350°. 
  • Line 13×9 pan with foil; spray lightly with cooking spray. 
  • In a large bowl, whisk cocoa and boiling water together until smooth. 
  • Add in unsweetened chocolate and continue to whisk until chocolate is melted. 
  • Whisk in melted butter and oil. (CI notes at this point that the mixture may look curdled; I have not had this issue.) 
  • Whisk in sugar. 
  • Stir in eggs, yolks, and vanilla until all ingredients are fully incorporated. 
  • Fold in chips.
  • Pour batter into prepared pan and bake at 350° 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted halfway between edge and center comes out clean. 
  • Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan on a rack for 1 1/2hrs. 
  • Using foil, remove brownies from pan and place on rack to cool another hour before serving.*

*Laura said, “Okay look, this is 2 1/2 hours of cooling time. I don’t know about you, but there is no chance in hell that fresh brownies are going to get that much alone time at my house. I usually make it about 45 minutes before I start cutting” and I wholeheartedly concur!

3 Comments