The brownie to get you through a meeting

Today I spent the entire day in a meeting. What's worse is that I had to do the minutes... no gazing off into the middle distance for me. So I decided that some sort of maximum-impact brownie was needed. I was initially going to make one of Jamie Oliver's but then I had a closer look and developed diabetes on the spot (300g of sugar... really?). My next port of call was Nigella and while the woman may be as annoying as all get out, she knows how to make a good brownie. I especially liked that this one had coffee in it which would hopefully keep me awake just that little bit longer.

This is your classic, crunchy on top, gooey in the middle dose of awesomeness. The way I've done it, it turns out fairly bitter which I quite like. However, if you want it a bit sweeter, add another 25 - 50g of sugar.

Rich Chocolate Mocha Brownies 
200g dark chocolate
100g butter
2 tbsp coffee
75g caster sugar (about 1/2 cup I think)
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs
50g plain flour (about 2/3 cup I think)
75g dark chocolate chopped, extra
100g walnuts, chopped

Oven @ 160c                                           20cm square pan, lined with baking paper

Melt the dark chocolate, butter and coffee until smooth. Add the sugar and vanilla, mix well and allow to cool slightly.

Stir in the eggs, flour, extra chocolate and nuts and spread into baking pan.
Bake for 40 minutes and cool completely before turning out.

Why white chocolate is actually the dark side

As I've mentioned before, white chocolate is bad. Happily, I can now add further evidence for this: it does terrible things to your self confidence.
This evening I decided to bake sour cherry blondies as a contrast for my regular ones and to use up the rest of the white chocolate in my pantry. Everything was going along ok until my mixture split and developed a consistency startlingly similar to baby sick. Fortunately I'm far more stubborn than I am lacking in confidence and lived to reassure others that if this happens to you, fear not!

Therefore, here is tonight's recipe which actually turned out quite nicely. 

Originally this recipe comes from Taste but I've done some tweaking.

Sour Cherry Blondies
100g butter
180g white chocolate
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup self-raising flour
3/4 cup plain flour
1 cup pitted sour cherries

Oven @160c                                               20cm square pan lined with baking paper

Melt butter and chocolate together then allow to cool slightly (Be prepared for baby spew).

Add sugar, eggs and flours and stir to combine. Spread into prepared pan. Press cherries into the top. Bake for 30 minutes and cool for 35 minutes before turning out.

Rummin my Raisin

So last week I decided that a gluten-free fruit cake would be an awesome idea. I still maintain that the idea is awesome, just the execution was slightly less than breathtaking. It turns out that gluten-free fruit cake is really hard to make for reasons I haven't quite figured out yet. I managed to make one which was both stodgy and dry which I think is quite an achievement.

Anyway, to satisfy my craving for moist, alcoholic, fruitiness, I decided to give a rum and raisin brownie a try. Unfortunately, the recipes I found didn't really feel quite right. I wanted a heavy & dense brownie with plenty of drunk fruit so I made one up... here it is.

Rum n Raisin Brownies

120g raisins

3tbsp rum

200g dark cooking chocolate

75g butter

1 tsp vanilla essence

1/2 cup caster sugar

3 eggs

1/4 cup sour cream

1 tbsp cocoa powder

1 cup plain flour

20 cm square pan lined with baking paper                       Oven @ 160c

Soak the raisins in the rum for three hours (or microwave them a little so they absorb the rum).

Melt the chocolate and butter together then allow to cool slightly. Mix in the rum and raisin mixture, then the vanilla, sugar, eggs and sour cream and stir until well combined.

Fold in the cocoa powder and the flour. 

Bake for 35 mins. Stand in pan for 10 mins before turning out.

Cheesy Chocolaty Goodness

Today's brownies are a bit of a difference for me because they don't have any fruit or nuts in them. They've turned out really well and would make a fabulous dessert, both hot and cold. Next time I'll give them a bit more of a swirl though.

The recipe is a bit bigger than my usual ones so needs more cooking time but the brownies are nice and high.

Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies

150g butter, chopped

250g dark chocolate

3 eggs
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1/4 cup sour cream
250g cream cheese, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla essence

20 cm square cake pan lined with baking paper                                          Oven @ 180c

Melt the butter and chocolate in a saucepan over low heat. Allow to cool slightly.
Mix in two of the eggs and 1/2 a cup of the sugar. Stir in the flour and sour cream and stir until well combined.

Beat the cream cheese, vanilla, egg and remaining sugar in a bowl until smooth.

Spoon chocolate and cream cheese mixtures alternately into the pan. Swirl with a knife to create a marble effect. Bake for 45 minutes. Stand for one hour before slicing.

Apathy & White Chocolate

Blondies = brownies but not brown... just to clear that up

The plan tonight was to combine a couple of white chocolate & almond blondie recipes for some all round fabulousness.... Unfortunately, I had a brain faze in the supermarket and forgot the almonds *facepalm*

I find making stuff with white chocolate difficult, there are so many bad things about it. It's way too sweet, has less bang for your calorific buck and leaves suspicious white stains if you get it on your clothes.

That being so, I struggled to find another idea for the chocolate sitting on my counter. In the end though, I decided to give lemon blondies a go, and they're far more edible than I care to admit.

I can't find the base recipe again now but I've made so many changes I don't think it really matters. Also, I haven't put it in this recipe but when I make these again I'll consider adding a fourth egg because I quite liked the custardy flavour they have and it'd make them fudgier (they're quite cakey this time).

Lemon & White Chocolate Blondies
20 cm square pan lined with baking paper                             Oven @ 160c

100g butter
185g white chocolate (reserve 60g)
3 eggs
1/2 cup of caster sugar
1 1/2 tbsp finely grated lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 cups plain flour

Melt together the butter and 125g of the white chocolate. Add the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, vanilla, and baking powder and whisk until bubbly and well combined. Fold in the flour, then remaining chocolate.

Pour into prepared pan & bake for 30 mins. Stand 10 mins before turning out.

Technically not a brownie... choc banana deliciousness

I really miss bananas. They're pretty much a staple food for me so when they cost roughly as much as platinum like they do in Melbourne now, I find myself both lacking in easy breakfast alternatives (I try not to eat wheat) and low in potassium... picture me with a nervous twitch in one leg as we speak.

Anyway, when they do cost less than my life savings, I love making this choc banana.... I guess it's a cake. I'm putting it in with my brownies because it has the best ever dense, squidgy texture. Sadly I haven't made this cake since T.C. Yassi but when I do I'll put a photo in.

I have made it in both a 20 cm and a 25 cm cake pan because it doesn't rise much. Just turn your oven down a bit and extend the cooking time for the smaller tin. Don't forget to line with baking paper, it keeps the edges soft.

Choc Banana Dessert Cake

2 cups caster sugar            

1 3/4 cups plain flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

1 cup mashed over-ripe banana

1 cup warm water

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup oil

2 tsp vanilla essence                                                         Oven @180c

Combine all ingredients and beat until well combined (mixture will be quite thin).

Pour into prepared pan & bake for around 1 hour. Stand 10 minutes before turning out.

It's that easy :)

Chocolate and Date Brownies

Aren't dates awesome? I prefer the fruit to the social situation personally but I'll take either in a pinch.

Anyway, I tried these today and they're pretty good - not too heavy or rich. I would probably add either a nip of rum, a little bit of vanilla or half a teaspoon of cinnamon just to give them a bit more depth.

I don't think the recipe actually comes from anywhere in particular, I combined a few.

Chocolate & Date Brownies  
250g dark chocolate
1/2 cup caster sugar
150g butter
3 eggs
100g dates, chopped
1 cup plain flour

20cm square cake pan, lined with baking paper.                      Oven @ 160c

Melt the butter & 200g of the chocolate together in a medium saucepan over low heat. Allow to cool slightly. Stir in sugar and eggs but don't over-mix. Add dates and remaining 50g of chocolate, chopped. 

Spread into the prepared baking pan and bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool before slicing.

Heart Attack Brownies

These brownies lack all subtlety. They are super rich, super chocolaty, super bad for you. There is one saving grace though... they're gluten free!
I haven't tried it yet but I think that these would be good with lots of extra stuff in/on them. If you're going to use a variation, I'd go with almonds and either cranberries or sultanas. You could also try frozen raspberries to reduce the richness a bit.
This is a variation on a Nigella recipe.

Flourless Chocolate Brownies
225g dark chocolate
200g butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
180g caster sugar
3 eggs
150g ground hazelnuts
100g chopped walnuts

20cm square cake pan lined with baking paper  
Oven @ 160c

Melt butter and chocolate together in medium saucepan over low heat. Mix in vanilla & sugar and cool slightly. Beat in eggs and both nuts.

Turn into prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes until top is set (brownies will still be very soft). Cool completely before turning out, preferably in the fridge.

First Among Brownies

This is the recipe that started everything. It's fudgy enough but light enough that everyone loves it. I generally only put nuts in it, it isn't dense enough to support a whole lot of extras. The original recipe includes frosting but I never use it, who can be bothered?

This is a variation of one published in the Australian Women's Weekly Biscuits & Slices book.

Crowd Pleaser Brownies
125g butter
185g dark chocolate
3/4 cup caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs
1 cup plain flour
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I'd go with walnuts)

20 cm square cake pan, lined with baking paper.                  Oven @ 160c

Melt butter and chocolate together (either in a saucepan or in the microwave). Stir in sugar and essence, then eggs, flour, and nuts.

Pour into prepared pan and bake for 30 mins or until just firm. Cool in pan.

Brownie essentials

There are many things I've learnt about brownies. This has taken many years of extensive testing, all for your benefit. I will never be skinny. See the dedication??

Chocolate v cocoa
Ok, chocolate is expensive! On the other hand, it makes waaay better brownies. It's the combination of chocolate and lack of bicarb that makes brownies brownies and not cake. If you do have a recipe calling for cocoa, just be prepared that it's gonna be lighter and dryer... if you're into that kind of thing.
When buying chocolate, don't bother buying the fancy stuff, or even cooking chocolate (unless you have a large disposable income). I buy the massive slabs of Old Gold, those babies will last you 2-3 batches. Whatever you end up getting, just make sure it has about 70% cocoa.


Sugar
Sugar is great isn't it? Well, no. Not really. The main change I make to my recipes is to reduce the amount of sugar, there's already almost enough in the chocolate. Generally in my recipes, if I've put 3/4, it was probably a cup to begin with etc. etc.

Nuts
As a rule, any nuts are better than no nuts (isn't that the rule for pretty much everything?). My favourites are walnuts because they're soft and lower in fat, although that's a minor concern. I also use almonds a lot, pecans when I must and macadamias if I'm using white chocolate/suddenly get a sugar daddy.

Baking Paper
The last awesome little tip is from Jamie's 30 minute meals. Baking paper is a must when baking brownies, given the vast amount of sugar. The best way to fit it into the tin is to crumple a good-sized sheet and wet it completely, then squeeze excess water out. This makes it really easy to handle & easy to get into the corners of the pan. Neat huh?

Beginnings

Hi, I'm Andrea *waves*

There are lots of things I love: Sunny winter days, eating out with friends, friends in general, Glee, and music music music!

I also really love brownies. And as far as I can tell, so does everyone else. Everyone. In the whole world. I mean, I've never heard anyone say "Brownies? Hell no I don't like no brownies!"

Every time I make brownies someone asks me for the recipe so here is my small but growing collection, all for you. I may add other things in time, if you ask nicely :)