Before you say something like, “Another brownie recipe, does this man not have a limit?” I just want to tell you that I believe in democracy. This summer at Cooking by the Book, this has been the most requested dessert. By far. People just love brownies. Call it “Double Chocolate” and it’s irresistible.
The brownie flavor here is quite, quite intense. So this creature is the perfect foundation for a brownie sundae. Top this brownie with a scoop of rich vanilla ice cream for contrast [look for a Vanilla Bourbon Ice Cream in tomorrow's post!]. Or, go for a complement. Coffee or mocha ice creams would be fine choices.
You can be decadent and top with marshmallow fluff. By now you need a bigger bowl. And probably a second batch of these treats.
On technique, this is a brownie made in a saucepan, not in a mixing bowl. It’s quick to prepare and you have less kitchen mess — yet you create a real treat. Chances are, anyone who tastes this will also vote for more.
Double-Chocolate Brownies
Yield: Makes nine 2 ½-Inch squares
Ingredients:
- 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into large pieces
- 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 1½ cups sugar
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, sifted
- Chopped walnuts, pecans or chocolate chips may be added
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Line an 8-inch square baking pan with the parchment, leaving a slight overhang on all sides. Melt the butter and chocolate in a double boiler or a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat, and whisk in sugar. Whisk in eggs, 1 at a time, until combined. Whisk in cocoa and salt. Fold in flour until combined.
Pour batter into pan. Bake until set and toothpick inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool slightly in pan about 15 minutes. Lift brownies from pan using parchment. Remove parchment, transfer to a wire rack. Let cool completely. Cut into 9 squares.
Source: Martha Stewart Living Magazine
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There was a television series on PBS called Rumpole of the Bailey where a very clever lawyer was married to someone he described as “She Who Must Be Obeyed.” Not to her face, of course.
Not that I’m in that situation, but recently I heard Suzen say, “Too much chocolate.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked.
“Every damn blog post,” she answered.
Okay, I was hitting the chocolate pretty hard in the springtime, I admit. I did seek help and this summer has been filled with berries and fruit covered in natural, raw sugar. So think I’ve made enormous strides.
Now about this recipe for chocolate cake. I don’t know how I got it. I do not remember looking it up or printing it or anything. One day, there it was, printed out and on my desk. I would deny any responsibility for its appearance, but Suzen would not believe me. I may have accidentally downloaded while I was sleepwalking one night. Bad things do occur when you are chocolate deprived.
I won’t say this is the best chocolate cake ever. I will say, that if I ever have a formal last meal, this is the dessert I would request. The cake is divine. But the frosting is the killer. Milk chocolate frosting. A pound of milk chocolate plus whipping cream. I had the best time ever making this.
And the truth is, Suzen did, too. She decorated the cake. And she ate several pieces. I was just politely silent with every bite she took. One smirk from me and … Well, we won’t go there.
The one change we made in the recipe was to add crunched up Heath bars to the top of the cake as well as the middle layer. In fact, we divided the recommended four Heath bars, putting just two in the middle and then the remaining two on top.
Now, be honest. When you look at the picture of the cake above, don’t you just want to like your monitor? This cake is that good. As you plan for next weekend, buy some milk chocolate. Like a pound. Maybe more because you’ll want to taste test to make sure it’s good milk chocolate.
And to where to buy very good milk chocolate? Trader Joe’s has a house brand that is reasonably priced and exceptionally tasty.
Chocolate Crunch Layer Cake with Milk Chocolate Frosting
Yield: 10-12 servings
Cake Ingredients:
- 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
- ½ cup hot water
- 1 ¾ cups cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 ¾ cups sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup whole milk
Cake Preparation:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350˚F. Butter two 9-inch diameter cake pans with sides 1‑¾ inches high. Line bottoms of pans with waxed paper. Butter paper. Dust pans with flour, tap out excess. Combine chocolate with ½ cup hot water in a small saucepan. Stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Cool to lukewarm, stirring often.
Whisk flour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then vanilla extract. Beat in chocolate mixture. Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with milk in 2 additions, beating just to blend after each addition. Divide batter equally between pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean and cake just begins to pull away from sides of pan, about 35 minutes. Cool cake in pans on racks 5 minutes. Cut around pan sides. Turn cakes out onto racks; peel off waxed paper. Cool Cakes completely.
Frosting Ingredients:
- 1 ¼ cups whipping cream
- ¼ cup light corn syrup
- ½ cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 pound milk chocolate, chopped
Frosting Preparation:
Combine cream, corn syrup and butter in heavy large saucepan. Whisk over medium heat until mixture begins to simmer. Add chopped chocolate. Reduce heat to low and whisk until frosting is smooth, about 1 minute; transfer to a large bowl.
Fill another large bowl with ice. Set bottom of bowl with frosting atop ice. Whisk until frosting is cool and begins to thicken, about 8 minutes. Place bowl of frosting on work surface. Using electric mixer, beat until color lightens and just until frosting becomes thick enough to hold peaks when beaters are lifted, about 2 minutes. Frosting will continue to thicken as it stands.
Assembly Ingredients:
- 4 1.4 ounce chocolate-covered English toffee bars (such as Heath Bars or Skor), cut into ¼-inch dice
- 7 ounces milk chocolate (such as one Hershey’s bar)
Cake Assembly:
Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on an 8-inch diameter tart pan bottom or cardboard round. If desired, place pan bottom with cake atop 8-inch diameter cake pan to make a simple decorating stand. Top layer with 1 ½ cup frosting, spreading to edge. Sprinkle evenly with diced toffee. Top with second cake layer, flat side down. Press slightly to adhere. Spread thin layer of frosting over top and sides of cake to seal and set crumbs. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake (if frosting becomes stiff, stir gently spatula to loosen).
Stand chocolate bar on a short end. Using a vegetable peeler and starting at top edge of 1 side, run peeler down length of bar (chocolate will come away from side of chocolate bar in curls). Pile chocolate curls atop cake. Chill at least 2 hours. Cake can be made 2 days ahead. Cover with cake dome and keep chilled. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.
Source: Epicurious
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