I've never made brownies from scratch, so I figured for my first attempt I should go big or go home. This was also the first recipe I've made from my beloved Thomas Keller cookbook. I've loved staring at it the past month and was pleased to finally open it out onto the counter and listen to what the master wanted me to follow. These are not the kind of brownies you can consume all yourself. They are incredibly rich and incredibly decadent so they require you share them with colleagues and neighbors. What I love about these brownies are that they aren't sweet but what's highlighted is the rich chocolate flavors - one small piece is really satisfying. I slightly adapted them by adding in some espresso powder and cutting back just slightly on the sugar. I always prefer a dessert that isn't too sweet, especially if it has really high quality cocoa and chocolate.
Brownies (adapted from Ad Hoc at Home, by Thomas Keller)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour1 cup unsweetened alkalized cocoa powder (or Dutch processed. I found some at Williams and Sonoma)1 tsp kosher salt3 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 1 tbsp chunks3 large eggs1 1/2 cup granulated sugar (recipe calls for 1 3/4)1/2 tsp vanilla paste or extract6 oz. 61-64% chocolate (I used Scharffen Berger)1 1/2 t espresso powder (optional)powdered sugar for dusting
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9″ square pan.
Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder and salt.
In a large bowl, place half the amount of cubed butter. In a saucepan, melt the remaining half of the butter over medium heat, stirring. Pour the melted butter over the cubed butter, and stir to combine. The butter should look creamy, with bits of unmelted butter still present.
In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs and sugar on medium speed for three minutes, until light and doubled in volume. Add the vanilla. On low speed, alternate adding the flour and the butter in several additions. Stir in the chopped chcocolate.
Pour the batter into pan, and bake for 40 minutes.
Cool and dust with powdered sugar before serving. Makes about 16.
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