Crunchy Brownie recipe

[Bethalize]

I've just made brownies from this recipe: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2010/sep/09/how-to-make-perfect-brownies

The brownies are fine, but they are very, very dense and very puddingy. The crust is admittedly meringue-crunchy, but it flakes off very easily. It's more of a dessert than the cake I was hoping for.

So, two questions. First, what should a brownie be like in your opinion? Secondly, what recipe should I try next?  My only caveat is that I don't want that uses corn syrup because it's extortionately expensive here.

Thanks for your international help.

[Hmmmmm]

I live fudgy brownies that have the flaky crust. 

But cakey brownies are good too, especially topped with icecream and caramel sauce.
This is a good article on different brownie types but their cakey one uses corn syrup.
http://www.finecooking.com/articles/how-to/brownies-chewy-cakey-fudgy.aspx

This is a basic recipe and instructions for a cakey brownie

4 oz unsweetened chocolate
8 TB unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
2 cold large eggs
1/2 cup flour
2/3 cups nuts (pecans or walnuts or can be ommitted)

Preheat oven to 350.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler (or bowl set over simmering water) stiring frequently till hot but not boiling.  Remove from heat and stir in sugar, vanilla and salt with a wooden spoon. Add eggs one at a time beating till incorporated.  Stir in flour and beat till glossy about 1 to 2 min.  Add nuts if using.  Poor into parchment lined 8" square pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 min.

You can modify this recipe to use semi-sweet chocolate by using 10 oz of semi-sweet chocolate (50-62% chocolate), reduce butter to 5 tablespoons and sugar to 2/3 cups. 

My mom always made brownies with cocoa powder.
Melt 8 TB of butter with 1 cup of sugar.  Add in 3/4 cup cocoa powder, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp vanilla and stir to combine.  Add in 2 large eggs, adding beating in individually.  Mix in 1/2 cup flour and beat vigorously. Add in a half cup of nuts is using.  Pour into an 8 inch square pan buttered & floured.  Bake at 325 in a preheated oven for 20 to 25 min.

[magicdomino]

I've just made brownies from this recipe: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2010/sep/09/how-to-make-perfect-brownies

The brownies are fine, but they are very, very dense and very puddingy. The crust is admittedly meringue-crunchy, but it flakes off very easily. It's more of a dessert than the cake I was hoping for.

So, two questions. First, what should a brownie be like in your opinion? Secondly, what recipe should I try next?  My only caveat is that I don't want that uses corn syrup because it's extortionately expensive here.

Thanks for your international help.

That's about right for a brownie.  Brownies are close relations to bar cookies, which are spread out in a pan, baked, then cut into small squares.  They are supposed to be rich and fudgy.

[PastryGoddess]

I'm a fudgey brownie fan.  The denser and gooier the better for me

[Bethalize]

I live fudgy brownies that have the flaky crust. 

But cakey brownies are good too, especially topped with icecream and caramel sauce.
This is a good article on different brownie types but their cakey one uses corn syrup.
http://www.finecooking.com/articles/how-to/brownies-chewy-cakey-fudgy.aspx

Thanks, Hmmmmm. That's a brilliant article. It will help me understand what I'm dealing with.

I've made Betty Crocker brownies in the past and people have wolfed them down. The ones I made were on balance probably nicer but they were the sort of thing I'd want to eat with a fork at table with some berries as a pudding.

[doodlemor]

Here is my very favorite brownie recipe.  It is also very easy - you just have to whisk the ingredients together.

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/bakers-one-bowl-brownies-54515.aspx

"Baker's" is a brand of squares of unsweetened chocolate.  If the 1 ounce squares of unsweetened chocolate are unavailable you can substitute 3 T unsweetened cocoa and 1 T butter for each square.

I like the gooey brownies best, too.  Don't ever overbake brownies - they will be hard and dry.

If you are taking them somewhere that frosting [chocolate, of course] could be messy, just add some chocolate chips to the batter before you bake them.  Another thing that people do that is delicious is to put half of the batter in the pan, and then put in a layer of peppermint patties, and then the rest of the batter.  [Peppermint patties are little candies about an inch and a half or so in diameter that have white peppermint insides with a chocolate coating.]

[Bethalize]

Thanks.

The problem I have now is that the only cocoa available here is Dutch processed. Natural cocoa? Forget it! I'm going to have to look up substitutions.

[Hmmmmm]

Thanks.

The problem I have now is that the only cocoa available here is Dutch processed. Natural cocoa? Forget it! I'm going to have to look up substitutions.

The cocoa recipe I posted uses Dutch processed.

[Zilla]

Thanks.

The problem I have now is that the only cocoa available here is Dutch processed. Natural cocoa? Forget it! I'm going to have to look up substitutions.

Can you get ground chocolate?  Cocoa powder is too strong for me (I am weird that I am not a huge fan of chocolate lol) This is what I use in brownies with great success.  My recipe is simple as well and produces a shiny crust but fudgey texture underneath.  You can cook it a tad longer and it will be a bit more dense cake like if you want less fudgey.  If you can't find the ground chocolate, you can probably dump the flour from below recipe with 12 ounces of favorite chocolate bar in a food processor.  The flour should help from the chocolate clumping up.


Ground Chocolate: http://www.ghirardelli.com/store/shop-products/collections/hot-cocoa-beverages/sweet-ground-chocolate-and-cocoa.html


1/2 cup of oil OR softened butter
1 cup of sugar*
2 eggs
1/2 cup of ground chocolate (*if using bittersweet, up the sugar to 1 1/2 cups)
3/4 cup of flour
1 tsp of salt
1 tbsp of vanilla
Optional: 1/2 cup of walnuts or chocolate chips, lightly floured.


Barely mix the above till just incorporated, bake in a preheated 350 for 25-30 minutes.  Use oversized parchment paper or foil to line the pan, and let it overhang.  When done out of the oven, use the overhang to take brownies and let it cool rapidly.  It will continue to cook/steam if left in the pan. 


ETA:  I have also used chocolate shavings in this recipe if I didn't have my ground chocolate on hand.  Take a serrated knife and coarsely chop chocolate. (being lazy if I didn't want to clean the processor)

[PastryGoddess]

I'm making brownies tonight....