The Baked Brownie

Maybe I'm just a little OCD, but this blog post about The Baked Brownie has become a little frustrating. The Baked cookbook mentions that these brownies have been lauded by Oprah (a favorite thing!), America's Test Kitchen, and the Today Show. And I totally believe them. But I thought, if I'm going to be telling all three of my readers about how great these brownies are, I might as well have my sources right. And after some fairly effortful Googling, I haven't found all the information I wanted. You know what I did find? A bunch of food blogs--and I mean a bunch of them--saying Oprah, ATK, and Today says these are the best brownies IN THE WORLD! And the nerdier, OCD-er, more competitive side of me doesn't just want to be another blogger talking about these much-talked-about brownies. So what am I doing? I'm being a total nerd and trying to find these sources so you can read for yourselves what these people have said:

1. Oprah declared these brownies a favorite thing. Official Oprah website source found. Check.

2. America's Test Kitchen. The only reference I could find was under mail order brownies, and I assume they were declared the best mail order brownies; I don't know for sure since I didn't feel like registering for their 14-day free trial to get more info. And maybe I'm splitting hairs, but being voted the best mail order brownies is not the same as being voted the best brownies ever IN THE WORLD! I'm not minimizing the Baked brownies; ATK has their own recipes to support. And, not to knock ATK, but who orders mail order brownies? Even if they're amazing, why would you pay $41+S&H and wait a couple days for them when you can just make some?

3. Today Show. I couldn't find any info.

Now, I know what you're thinking:

"Ami, you are a total nerd. We do not care about primary sources. GIVE US THE BROWNIES!"

A week ago, I would've had to say I can't publish the recipe. But, #1, this recipe is posted on many of the aforementioned blogs. And, #2, which is much more awesome, I actually wrote to the Baked NYC guys to ask about posting recipes, and they said I could! All of them! And that my blog looks great! So you get to have the recipes! But let me yammer just a little bit more.

These brownies are seriously wonderful. I'm not so uppity as to pooh-pooh all boxed brownies; on the contrary, I think Ghiradelli boxed brownies are delicious and plenty of homemade brownies taste like cardboard. And not even chocolatey cardboard. So I've sort of relied on the Ghiradelli box.

UNTIL NOW!

These are not even on the same planet as the boxed brownies. And without further ado, please enjoy:

The Baked Brownie (printable recipe)

1 1/4 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp dark, unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Droste Dutch-process)
11 oz. dark chocolate (60 to 72% cacao), coarsely chopped
1 c unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 tsp instant espresso powder (I couldn't find this in time, so I used finely ground instant coffee. It's not as concentrated as espresso powder, but worked in a pinch. I'll get some real stuff one of these days. I know, how un-Mormon-y of me. If you don't want to use it, just leave it out, though I hear adding it increases the chocolatiness of the flavor.)
1 1/2 c sugar
1/2 c firmly packed light brown sugar
5 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the sides and bottom of a 9x13-inch glass or light colored metal baking pan.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, salt, and cocoa powder together.
3. Put the chocolate, butter, and instant espresso powder in a large bowl and set it over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. Turn off the heat, but keep the bowl over the water and add the sugars. Whisk until completely combined, then remove the bowl from the pan. The mixture should be at room temperature.
4. Add 3 eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Add the remaining eggs and whisk until combine. Add the vanilla and stir until combined. Do not overbeat the batter.
5. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the chocolate mixture. Using a spatula (not a whisk), fold the flour mixture into the chocolate until just a bit of the flour is still visible.
6. Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, rotating pan halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Do not over bake. Let brownies cool completely, then cut them into squares (or hearts!) and serve. Yield: 24 brownies
Brownies keep at room temperature for 3 days when tightly covered.

Recipe courtesy of Baked: New Frontiers in Baking by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Copied with permission.










I gave these to my family valentines, even though every single one of is actively trying to lose weight. They are too good.
I'll go back and add the recipes to my previous posts, too, then this blog can be a recipe resource! I'm so  excited about it.
Go, make them. And be happy forever.

Lemon Lemon Loaf

I keep making the mistake of planning what I'm going to make next on a full...overly full stomach. So when I look through the book, nothing really sounds good. Which is kind of a problem when I need to make another dessert. Truth be told, we're not really huge dessert eaters at our house. And even though every dessert thus far has been good, we just don't make much of a dent each day. So a week later, we still have dessert. And then I have to make another one! It was making the project a little tiresome.

UNTIL NOW!

Considering these facts, and others, this Lemon Lemon Loaf turned out to be the perfect recipe. First of all, it makes two loaves but can be easily frozen. Secondly, it has a light lemon flavor that isn't overly sweet, making it less overwhelming. But don't let that fool you; this is not a light, airy cake. In fact, the texture totally surprised me. I was expecting cake, but it was denser than that. Quite eggy. Which may not necessarily sound super appealing, but I actually really liked it. It was like a lemony, loafy version of crepes.
I was fully intending to say it needs some poppy seeds. The recipe specifically says it doesn't want extraneous ingredients like poppy seeds, but I love them. I love them! I love some texture in my food. Like, I love the pulpiest orange juice I can find, and I usually double the poppy seeds in any poppy seeded recipe. Nevertheless, I had to admit that, despite my misgivings, these Baked guys were right; it just wouldn't be quite right with poppy seeds. And that's okay with me.
There is a part of me that wonders if I did something wrong...I followed the directions exactly, except where it said to mix the batter in a food processor, since I don't have a food processor. I mixed it in my Kitchenaid with the whisk attachment...but that wouldn't be the same. Maybe someday I'll have a food processor and can try it again.
If I were to change something, though, I would make the loaf itself more lemony. Despite a lot of lemon zest and some juice, the flavor didn't come through a lot. It's pretty dependent on the painted on, lemony glaze.
It was good, though. And I have another loaf in my freezer. This time, I'm actually glad there are plenty of leftovers.

Lemon Lemon Loaf (printable recipe)

For the Lemon Cake:

1 1/2 c cake flour

1 1/2 c all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

2 1/4 c sugar

8 large eggs, at room temperature

1/4 c grated lemon zest (from about 4 lemons)

2 c (4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted & cooled

1/2 c sour cream, at room temperature

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

For the Lemon Syrup:

1/3 c fresh lemon juice

1/3 c sugar

Make the Lemon Cakes

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray the sides and bottom of two 9x5x3-in. loaf pans with cooking spray. Line the bottom with parchment paper and spray the paper.

2. Sift both flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.

3. Put the sugar, eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a food processor and pulse until combined. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.

4. Sprinkle in the flour mixture, one third at a time, folding gently after each addition until just combined. Do not overmix.

5. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 minutes, rotate the pans, reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees and bake for another 30 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, Make the Lemon Syrup

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the lemon juice and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Once dissolved, continue to cook for 3 more minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper and invert the loaves onto the pan. Use a toothpick to poke holes in the tops and sides of the loaves.

3. Brush the tops and sides of the loaves with the lemon syrup. Let the syrup soak into the cake and brush again. Let the cakes cool completely, at least 30 minutes. Yield: 2 loaves

(The soaked but unglazed loaves will keep, wrapped in two layers of plastic wrap and frozen, for up to 6 weeks.)

Recipe courtesy of Baked: New Frontiers in Baking by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Copied with permission.

Black Forest Chocolate Cookies

Also, Chocolate Chip Cookies with Nutella, Brown Butter, and Sea Salt

I learned several things with this recipe.
1) Cookies aren't very photogenic. At least with my limited skills.
2) I don't love cookies that much. I don't know; I'm just not a big cookie person.

UNTIL NOW!

These are seriously amazing cookies. I like the idea of Black Forest cake, but the gross, slimy cherries and dry chocolate cake just never lived up to my expectations. But these cookies by Baked are a great combination of rich, not overly sweet chocolate, tart dried cherries, and a perfect sprinkling of dark, semi-sweet, and white chocolate chips. And get this: there is only 3/4 cup of flour! The rest of it is all butter, chocolate, and eggs!

The recipe said it would only make about 24 cookies, so I decided I'd try another (non-Baked) cookie recipe I'd found on Annie's Eats.

Nutella+Brown Butter+Sea Salt=Yummy

Both cookies are good...I think I'm going to have to say the Black Forest cookies win in my book. Also, the Black Forest cookies win in my book club. I took both cookies to book club, and more of the Black Forest were eaten. Everyone seemed to like both types, though.

My husband likes the Brown Butter/Nutella. So really, it's pretty much a toss-up.

Also, the "makes about 24 cookies" turned out to be a big, fat lie--it made like 64 cookies. So, I have a lot of cookies hanging out at my house. If you're in the area, come on over and have some!

Black Forest Chocolate Cookies (printable recipe)

3/4 c all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

16 oz. dark chocolate (60 to 72% cacao), coarsely chopped

10 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces

6 large eggs

1 1/4 c sugar

1 c firmly packed light brown sugar

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

1 c (6 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips

1 c (6 oz.) white chocolate chips

1 c (6 oz.) dried cherries

1. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together into a medium bowl and set aside.

2. In a large nonreactive metal bowl, combine the dark chocolate and butter. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook, stirring with a rubber spatula, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool. 

3. In the bowl of an electric mixture fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs and sugars on the high speed until the mixture is pale and thick, about 5 minutes. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and the vanilla a beat until just combined. Scrape down the bowl and beat again for 10 seconds. 

4. Add the flour mixture and mix on low until just combined, about 10 seconds. Do not overmix.

5. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, fold in the chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and dried cherries. The dough will look very loose, but it will harden in the refrigerator. Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight. 

6. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

7. Drop the dough by rounded tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time, until the tops of the cookies are set and begin to show a few cracks. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before removing from the pans and serving. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. 

Yield: About 4 dozen cookies

Recipe courtesy of Baked: New Frontiers in Baking by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Copied with permission.

Millionaire's Shortbread

We invited some friends/family over for dinner this week, which made me choose dessert more carefully. This recipe didn't include a picture, and since I'm not particularly excited by shortbread, I didn't even give it a second thought last week. This time, I actually read through the ingredients.

Wait, chocolate?

Wait, dulce de leche??

It turns out, millionaires really do have it better than the rest of us.

UNTIL NOW*!

Today, the rest of us can have something usually reserved for millionaires! This is apparently a Scottish dessert, shortbread topped with a layer of caramel and a layer of chocolate. Baked also called these rich man's Twix. Whatever you want to call them, you will feel richer and happier.

They are a messy bar (crumbly, gooey, and melty all at once), but it is worth it. They are very rich, of course, so a small piece goes a long way. All of our guests liked them, so I think it was a hit. And they were even better the next day! How do they do that?

Millionaire's Shortbread (printable recipe)

Yield: 24 bars
Ingredients

• 1/2 c sugar
• 1 1/4 c (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg yolk
• 28 oz. (2 14-oz. cans) sweetened condensed milk
• 6 oz. dark chocolate (60% cacao), coarsely chopped
• 1 tsp light corn syrup
• 1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened, cut into cubes

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9x13-in. baking pan.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar and butter together until blended. Add 2 cups of the flour and beat until well combined. Add the egg yolk and beat for a few seconds, or until just combined.
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Dust the top of the dough and your hands with a little flour. Use your hands to gently work the dough into a 6x6 square. You will have to turn the dough and sprinkle the top with flour as you go. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 c flour on the surface of the dough. Fold the dough over and knead until incorporated, then flatten the dough into a rectangle. Transfer the rectangle to the prepared pan and press it into the pan.
4. Prick the dough all over with a fork and bake in the center of the oven for 20 to 22 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
5. To make the caramel filling, put the sweetened condensed milk in a large microwave-safe bowl. Cook on 50% power for 4 minutes, stirring briskly halfway through, until smooth. Cook on 30% power for 12 to 18 minutes, until very thick and caramel colored, stirring briskly every 2 minutes, until smooth.
6. Pour the caramel filling over the cooled shortbread and place the pan in the refrigerator until cool, about 2 hours.
7. To make the chocolate glaze, in a large nonreactive metal bowl, combine the chocolate, corn syrup, and butter. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook, stirring with a rubber spatula, until the mixture is completely smooth. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir for 30 seconds to cool slightly. Pour the mixture over the chilled caramel layer and use and offset spatula to spread it into an even layer. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or until the glaze hardens.
8. Remove the pan from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving so chocolate does not crack. Cut into squares and serve. Bars can be stored in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to 4 days.

Recipe by Recipe courtesy of Baked: New Frontiers in Baking by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Copied with permission.
* Let's see if I can incorporate a big "UNTIL NOW!" into every post, shall we?