Bittersweet Brownies

I needed a recipe to make for Walker’s birthday celebration at his preschool recently, and brownies work well – easily portioned up and what child will say no to chocolate? Although I did make them bittersweet which for this crowd of kids, they happily enjoyed them. They were right where an adult’s taste buds will be screaming for more – rich, indulgent and well…did I mention indulgent?

I found the recipe in a review copy of Idiot’s Guides: Baking, on pages 68-69.Idiot’s Guide might not have you thinking high-end recipes, but give this one a second look – it is an amazing guide to mastering all the basics in baking – from what tools to use, what the ingredients are, to how to get the best results. The recipes walk you through clearly and without being dumbed down. From desserts, to scones, to fancy yeast breads – and with many full color photographs to help show you how.

Bittersweet Brownies

Ingredients:

• 7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
• 3 Tbsp cocoa powder
• 3 large eggs (or 3 eggs worth of Ener-G Egg Replacer prepared)
• 1 cup light or dark brown sugar, packed
• 1½ tsp pure vanilla extract
• ½ tsp salt
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a 8 inch baking pan with extra butter and line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang. Liberally grease the paper as well.

Fill a small saucepan with about 2″ of water, and bring it to a simmer over low heat.

Place chocolate, butter, and cocoa powder in a medium heat safe bowl, and set it on top of the pan with the simmering water. Stir mixture occasionally with a silicone spatula until it melts and is completely combined. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs (or prepared egg replacer), brown sugar, vanilla extract, and salt until combined. Slowly whisk chocolate mixture into egg mixture. Stir in flour until combined.

Pour batter into prepared pan, spreading into the corner and smoothing on top,

Bake until lightly puffed and thin curst has formed on top, about 35 to 40 minutes. A toothpick should come out with some moist crumbs attached (but no batter). Transfer the pan to a cooling rack to cool completely, about 2 hours.

Run an offset spatula around the edges of the pan. Lift brownie sheet by pulling up on the parchment overhang, and place on a cutting board. With a sharp knife, cut brownies into 2-inch squares. Brownies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.

Makes 16 2″ square brownies.

Note: I used egg replacer for the eggs and found the results perfect. I did this so the youngest could enjoy them with his allergies. I am sure they are even more delectable with the fat from the eggs!

FTC Disclaimer: We received a review copy.