Brownies - what else?

Brownies - made July 30, 2011 from Dessert University by Roland Mesnier (book #147)

Don't forget to enter the baking giveaway a couple of posts below by leaving a comment in that post - entry period until midnight PST on Sunday, August 7.

Second brownie post in a row.  Which must mean it's serious brownie making time again as I need them for at least a dozen goodie bags this week.  And no matter how much I like the recipes I've already tried, when given a choice, I prefer trying another new one.  When it comes to brownies, I'm sometimes recipe agnostic.  Many of them are quite similar but there is a certain technique in having them turn out well.  Heaven knows I've practiced long enough and often enough to be able to make decent brownies.

For fudgy brownies, this recipe recommends taking the pan out halfway during baking time and rapping it on the counter to deflate the air in it and make the brownies more dense.  I've read other recipes that do the same thing but I've rarely tried that method.  This seemed like a good time to experiment.  And of course I can't leave well enough alone so not only did I make this brownie but I covered the top with the nutella crunch topping.  Decadence.  Brownies.  Same thing.

Actually, I'm glad I did because otherwise this would be a thin brownie.  It was good but I wouldn't say it struck me as anything out of the ordinary had I left it as is.  But it made a good base for the nutella crunch.  It was almost like a dense chocolate cake than a true brownie but was good nonetheless.

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 ¼ cups sugar

3 large eggs

1 large egg yolk

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Pinch salt

5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 ½ cups pecan pieces

1 recipe Semisweet Chocolate Glaze, warmed

Semisweet Chocolate Glaze (I substituted the nutella crunch topping instead of the glaze)

One 12-ounce bag semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup plus 6 tablespoons heavy cream

1.     Preheat the oven to 400⁰F.  Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

2.    In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the eggs and the egg yolk one at a time and beat until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.  Add the vanilla, salt and cocoa powder and mix well.  Beat in the flour until well combined.  Stir in the nuts.  Remove the bowl from the mixer, scrape down the sides, and give the batter a few more stirs by hand to make sure that all the ingredients are well incorporated.

3.    Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Then, for fudgy brownies, remove the pan from the oven and tap it on the counter to make the rising brownies collapse.  Return the pan to the oven and bake until firm to the touch, 8 to 10 minutes more.  Do not overbake or your brownies will be dry.  Remove the pan from the oven, place it on a wire rack, and let the brownies cool completely in the pan.

4.    Make the glaze: Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl.  Bring the cream to a near boil in a small saucepan.  Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and whisk until smooth.  Cool to room temperature.

5.    Invert the cooled brownies onto a baking sheet and peel off the parchment paper. 

6.    Place the uncut brownies back in the pan.  Rewarm the glaze if necessary, and pour the glaze over the brownies, smoothing it evenly wit ha spatula.  Brownies will keep in the refrigerator, loosely draped with plastic wrap, for up to 1 week.