(taken directly from www.browneyedbaker.com)

The Baked Brownie

October 8, 2010 |  201 Comments |  Email |  Print

The famed Baked brownie. Oprah says it’s one of her favorite things. America’s Test Kitchens says its their favorite brownie. I don’t put much stock in Oprah, but America’s Test Kitchens are pretty much like the bible when it comes to all things kitchen. I check their reviews before any other recipes, and before I buy any kitchen equipment or new ingredients. So, if it’s their favorite brownie, I need to take a serious look. The Baked cookbook has been on my Amazon wish list for what seems like an eternity. After a couple of readers pointed out that the recipe for the pumpkin whoopie pies I posted last week looked like an adaptation from the cookbook, I hit up Barnes & Noble to do some research and add it to my cookbook collection. I could go on about all of the amazing recipes in this book, but for now, let’s focus on these brownies. Because they deserve it. They are now one of my favorite things. And I think I’ll need to hide them from myself.

There is a great explanation in the book about how the Baked brownie recipe came to be, which is a great read. The key is that they don’t want it to be cakey, so they use no leavening agents (no baking powder or baking soda). With 11 ounces of chocolate, additional dark cocoa powder, lots of butter and sugar, and 5 eggs, you don’t need me to tell you that these babies are R-I-C-H. And I say that with every ounce of goodness. This is quite possibly the most perfect brownie. Now, if you like cakey brownies you won’t think so. But if you like honest-to-goodness, rich and dense brownies, you will have found your Eden when you bite into these.

They have a good bit of height given that they don’t have any leavening agents, so they aren’t thin, gooey and smooshed like some brownies (this is a good thing). So they have substance and heft when you bite into them. And they have the ever-elusive and much sought after thin, crackly brownie crust that seems to be the calling card of amazing brownies. Now, not all brownies with a thin crackly crust are amazing brownies. But all amazing brownies have that thin crackly crust. Still with me? Good. Now get thee into the kitchen and make these. Then pour yourself a tall glass of cold milk and enjoy bite after decadent bite.

Three years ago: Outrageous Brownies

The Baked Brownie

Yield: 24 brownies

Prep Time: 30 minutes | Bake Time : 30 minutes

1¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons dark unsweetened cocoa powder
11 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1½ cups granulated sugar
½ cup packed light brown sugar
5 eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the sides and bottom of a 9×13-inch glass or light-colored baking pan. Line the pan with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk the 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 room temperature.

4. Add 3 eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Add the remaining eggs and whisk until combined. Add the vanilla and stir until combined. Do not overbeat the batter at this stage or your brownies will be cakey.

5. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the chocolate mixture. Using a rubber spatula (not a whisk), fold the flour mixture into the chocolate until just a bit of the flour mixture is visible.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs sticking to it. Let the brownies cool completely, then lift them out of the pan using the parchment paper. Cut into squares and serve.

7. Store at room temperature in an airtight container or wrap with plastic wrap for up to 3 days.

(Recipe adapted from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking)

Basement Brownies

(taken directly from http://www.recipegirl.com/2012/08/01/basement-brownies/ )

basement brownies

I love a recipe with a good story behind it.  My family was recently visiting my brother and sister-in-law in beautiful Colorado.  As usual with my snoopy nature, I scoured my SIL Sarah’s personal recipes with hopes of finding some new treasures to try.  These Basement Brownies caught my eye!

These Chocolate- Caramel brownies are called Basement Brownies because when Sarah was a little girl… she used to make them for her Dad, who used to sneak these brownies into the basement to hide them so he could have them all for himself.  The name, “Basement Brownies” has stuck.

You’ve gotta love a recipe with only 5 ingredients.  Super simple.

The caramels are melted with a little bit of evaporated milk to create a caramel sauce.  Sarah says that in-a-pinch she has also used jarred caramel sauce in place of melting your own.  The cake mix is simply combined with evaporated milk and butter.  A portion of the batter is slightly baked, then topped with chocolate chips and caramel, then topped with more batter and baked again.

The result is not so impressive-looking, right?  Just you wait…!!

The inside brownie part is slightly gooey, and there are two layers in there that can put anyone into a delightful sugar coma:  one layer of melted chocolate chips and one layer of ooey caramel too.  Oh YEAH.  Basement brownies.  After a few bites of these, I can completely understand how they got their name.

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basement brownies

Yield: 16 to 20 brownies

Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 28 min

so good, you'll want to hide them in the basement so you can have them all for yourself!

Ingredients:

50 to 60 caramels, unwrapped
One box German Chocolate Cake Mix (I used 15.25 ounce box)
1 cup evaporated milk, divided
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) salted butter, melted
One 12 ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9x9-inch pan.

2. Melt caramels and 1/3 cup evaporated milk in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir until caramels have completely melted and the mixture is smooth.

3. In a large bowl, combine the dry cake mix, remaining 2/3 cup evaporated milk and butter. Mix by hand until batter is smooth and combined.

4. Pour a little over 1/2 of the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 8 minutes only and then remove from the oven. Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly on top of the partially cooked brownie. Drizzle caramel on top of the chocolate chips. Drop spoonfuls of the remaining batter on top. You probably won't have enough to cover the caramel completely.

5. Return the pan to the oven and bake for an additional 18 to 20 minutes until the brownies feel fairly set on top and the edges are lightly browned and crisp. Let the brownies cool completely before cutting. The longer they have time to cool, the more they will firm up.

Emilia Terragni's Basil Pesto Recipe

While procrastinating coding data, I decided to explore my new Roku machine (yes, I have somehow come into the "new age" and adapted my tv to be internet compatible). There is this great app called "chow." It shows me free cooking videos! One of their most popular videos details the go to recipe of the woman that brought The Silver Spoon cookbook to the US. This recipe is so easy and simple, that it reminds me of what good food should be: good ingredients, wine and good company. That is my dream meal experience. 

I have yet to find a really good pesto pre-made in Waco. Nothing will compare to Zabar's pesto! This recipe is something that may be as close as I can get in my current circumstances. I ordered really good olive oil in bulk over amazon. This is something I can make quite quickly and feel at home.

Emilia Terragni's Basil Pesto Recipe

Adapted from "The Silver Spoon"

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Difficulty: Easy | Total Time: 15 mins | Makes: 4 servings

A classic pesto recipe is invaluable for a quick weeknight pasta dinner or for adding flavor to eggs, sandwiches, or soups.

Game plan: For variety, use parsley or arugula in your pesto, instead of basil. The pesto can be tightly covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for several days, or frozen for up to 3 months.

Click here to watch Emilia Terragni, editor of The Silver Spoon cookbook, make this easy basil pesto in her video for CHOW’s My Go-To Dish series.

INGREDIENTS

• 25 fresh, medium basil leaves
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 1 garlic clove, crushed (optional)
• Kosher salt
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Place the basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic (if using), and a pinch of salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment. Process for about 5 or 6 (1-second) pulses. Add the grated cheeses and process for another 5 or 6 (1-second) pulses. With the motor running, add the oil in a slow, steady stream and process until the mixture’s smooth. Taste the pesto and season with salt and pepper.