Brownies: Possibly the Ultimate Comfort Food

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I think the first thing I ever actually baked in an oven entirely by myself was "boxed" or commercial brownie mix.

Back then, when I was 11, it was a Betty Crocker mix. My mother started putting boxes of Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Premium Brownie in care packages when I was studying for my qualifying exams. Now, I try to keep a box on hand, but I still make brownies from scratch.

A friend posted a link to this NYT recipe: Katharine Hepburn’s Brownies.

I think I'll have to try those. The first "scratch" brownies I made were ones I made using the recipes on the backs of Baker's Baking Chocolate, and later, Hershey Cocoa.

I have a great recipe at home that uses cocoa and Crisco.

Then I found the recipe below in Yankee Magazine: Killer Coffee Brownies.

So I'm curious: What's your go-to brownie recipe? Do you use a mix and then dress it up?



Total time: 55 minutes; active time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 cup unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing pan
A scant tablespoon hot water
2 tablespoons instant espresso coffee
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/4 cups flour, plus extra for dusting pan
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2-1/4 cups sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup toasted, coarsely chopped hazelnuts (optional)

Procedure

  1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
  2. Melt chocolate in a microwave or double boiler. Remove from heat, then add 1 cup butter.
  3. Add the scant tablespoon of hot water to the espresso, stir, then add to the chocolate mixture. Let cool slightly.
  4. Add vanilla extract and set aside.
  5. Grease and flour a 9x13-inch pan.
  6. In a large bowl, whisk eggs until just blended.
  7. Add sugar and whisk until mixture is pale yellow.
  8. Fold in cooled chocolate mixture.
  9. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Working in stages, gently fold dry ingredients into batter. Add hazelnuts and stir until just mixed.
  10. Spread the batter into the prepared pan.
  11. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the brownies comes out clean.
  12. Let brownies cool half an hour or so before cutting.

Yield: 18 to 24 medium-size brownies
Yankee Magazine 2005
 

lizmonster

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I don't have a go-to recipe. I love brownies, but they're not as popular with the rest of the household.

I did make brownies in our waffle iron a couple of weeks ago. That was...a tactical error, but the end result was delicious. For the curious, I live-tweeted with pictures. I used this recipe, which has the advantage of using cocoa rather than chocolate, so it was pretty much a mix-and-go.
 

Anne_B

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The TJ Brownie Truffle mix can also be used for drop cookies. Especially decadent if you include at least half a cup of chopped toasted walnuts.

OK, I really have to go do some writing now to justify being on this forum. It seems most of my posts lately have involved food…
 

Maryn

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I imagine Calla Lily must be otherwise engaged, or she'd be here to share the legendary Killer Brownies, which I've had, scarfing them down at a rate that was downright embarrassing. Fantabulous.

I'm the main brownie lover here, and I don't think I've got any cocoa, chocolate, or a box mix, so it's clearly not meant to be. Me eating the entire batch less one or two is also not meant to be, in a world where I have any common sense.

Maryn, no longer in such a world
 

Chris P

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Mint. Nothing else matters as long as there is mint in the chocolate.
 

ULTRAGOTHA

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I did make brownies in our waffle iron a couple of weeks ago. That was...a tactical error, but the end result was delicious.

I covet your waffle iron, though. My parents once had one that looked like that.
 

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I typically use box recipes, but I like to add things like peanut butter mixed in or marshmallows on top and put it in the broiler for a minute.Spice them up a bit, so to speak.
 

kikazaru

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This thread reminded me that I was given my late aunt's recipe by a cousin, who was just by chance talking to a woman who had mentioned that she knew my aunt, and that she actually had her brownie recipe and would she like it? Yes she would - and she passed it on to me, who made it for the first time yesterday. YUM! These are so great - they are thick and chewy and the whole pan was devoured in a couple of hours. I put walnuts in it and I frosted it with chocolate frosting, but you could leave the nuts out and the frosting off (maybe dust it with some icing sugar?) and they'd still be fantastic.

Aunt Fran's Brownies

2/3 cup of butter
5 (generous) Tbs of cocoa
1 cup of brown sugar
1 cup of white sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp of vanilla
1 1/4 cup of AP flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 chopped nuts (I used walnuts)

In a medium sized sauce pan, melt butter, add cocoa, remove from heat, then add sugars (and make sure this is not too hot) beat in eggs one at a time, sift in dry ingredients beating til smooth and incorporated, fold in nuts (dust these with a tsp or so of flour so they don't sink). Spoon into a greased 8" pan and bake in a preheated 350 oven for approximately 35 minutes - or til toothpick in centre comes out almost clean. Mine took a bit longer. Don't over bake.

Frosting - I usually just wing my recipe but it went something like this 1/4 cup of soft butter, 3 Tbs of cocoa, pinch of salt, smidge of vanilla and about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of icing sugar and a bit of milk to make a spreadable frosting.
 
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