Monday, October 22, 2007

brown is beautiful, part I

having to come up with something to bring to work, what does one choose that will likely please everyone? brownies, of course.

this is a recipe which never fails and takes very little time to throw together. in fact, i've made it so many times, i have it committed to memory now. such a good recipe, it uses one bowl and a whisk {maybe a spatula and measuring spoons, too} and can be made in 5 - 10 minutes. if you're like me and hate washing up tons of dishes, this is definitely the recipe for you.

i have to say, it tastes great either at room temperature or cold, straight from the refrigerator. i've noticed that the texture changes after sitting in the fridge, almost making it denser than it already is and even fudgier.

this particular recipe is not for those kind which are gooey or cakey but rather something in between. it seems many people are very particular how they like their brownies — nut, no nuts; thick, thin; dense, airy; frosting, no frosting ..... i could go on.

frosting these does make a difference: in your overall weight ;) but hey, what's an extra pound or two? you know you want to ......


the 10 minute brownie

thin, dense and very chocolate-y these are hard to resist. they taste even better slathered with a simple 2 minute chocolate espresso frosting. nuts, optional :)

ingredients:

1/2 c unsalted butter (or margarine)
2 oz semi sweet chocolate*
2 tbsp dark cocoa
2 eggs
1 c sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 c all purpose flour

1/2 c chopped walnuts (optional)

*you can use 6 tbsp of chocolate chips

1 x chocolate espresso frosting

method:

preheat oven to 35oF and butter an 9 x 9 inch (22.5 x 22.5 cm) pan or, if you have one, a brownie pan 10.5" x 6.5" (26.5 cm x 16.25 cm).

melt chocolate, cocoa powder and butter on high in microwave for only 1 minute. stir to dissolve chocolate. make sure it's not hot for next step. cut up the chocolate if it is in chunks (like below) to help it melt quickly.

add sugar and eggs and whisk to blend well.

add the vanilla and salt.

add the flour and mix well.

pour into pan and spread out evenly. it may not seem like there is enough but there is.

bake for 30 minutes. it will crack on top and may puff a bit but that will stabilize once it cools.

remove and let cool completely.

when cool, ice. cut in squares or refrigerate and cut when cold.

grab one and enjoy!


12 comments:

Emily DeVoto, Ph.D., said...

Unbelievable - you read my mind again! I have been jonesing for brownies, in particular a good brownie recipe, all day. Or maybe you saw the same post I did post on Serious Eats (http://www.seriouseats.com/talk/2007/10/whats-your-best-brownie-recipe.html).

burekaboy — said...

emily - well, well, what can i say?? my powers are incredibly awesome ms. devoto, LOL. do give this one a try: simple, no-fail, always good (especially at 1 am) and muy rapido. AND make sure to do the frosting part!!

actually, i didn't see that post. will give a look-see and check it out. thanks.

Anonymous said...

Hunger is growing before bed... again...... lol

burekaboy — said...

hi jamila - it's still not to late to bake, you know ... kids and husband in bed, mommy in kitchen stuffing her face with chocolate, LOL :))

Anonymous said...

oh b.boy, you're so versatile! from the smells of old spain into the ones of america.must make this too.hyperactive posting this week,uh? keep it so,it's a joy to drop by your blog and ALWAYS find something interesting ;)"CYAL8R"

Emily DeVoto, Ph.D., said...

Well, I may skip the espresso frosting for now in favor of a big scoop of vanilla ice cream... and thank G*d one more time for not making me lactose-intolerant... :)

burekaboy — said...

hola sarita - you'll never get rid of j's friends if you do make them! hehe. it's definitely hungry teenager food. seems like i've been on a sugar high this week, huh?? hope you try these though. fast, easy and EXTRA good. lemme know what you think, if you do.

emily - what!?! are you insane? no frosting!! heresy! i must protest.

ice cream yes, but don't forget the whipped cream, too.

Anonymous said...

Bureka Boy to the rescue again! Surprise baby shower at work tomorrow and was up late making a "diaper cake" and still needed to make something actually edible to bring. Your brownies are made and cooling as I type this. Smells and looks delicious. This just may be the brownie recipe that I've been searching for all my life!

Thanks,
Deanna

Anonymous said...

hi b. just couldn't wait and made them.so yummy!didn't add coffee to the frosting bec of j's taste.so easy to make and quick also!had one at night and..oh my, my! :).i had tried quite different ones, more cakey.definately i'll keep your recipe, they are so fudgy!j is veeery happy,he's grabbed the whole batch for school.now, not only his friends are my cheer leaders but also his canadian english teacher!:D

burekaboy — said...

hi deanna - what the #%* is a diaper cake?! sounds, ummm, different, LOL. have to say i've never heard of that one before.

i hope the brownies turned out well; i like them best with the icing but they are just as good without.

brownies are a 'funny' thing as people seem to have definite opinions about which are best.

sari - the coffee element is more of an adult thing but as you saw, it comes out really well without it. it's also good with bailey's instead of the milk :))

had a feeling j would be happy with them ;) i like this recipe better than the cake-y kind. you can always bake them for another 5 to 10 minutes if you want them more cake-like (not my fave way).

thanks for letting me know how they turned out.

TopChamp said...

wow they look good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

burekaboy — said...

hey TC - glad you LIKE!! ;) they're one of the fastest and easiest to make, too.