I made Brownies, not any kind of brownies, the famous BAKED Chocolate Brownies. Praises for them are all over the internet. Lots of people have called them the best brownies ever. So, this was the best recipe for the occasion.
The occasion was my cousin's wedding in December. No, I didn't make them as a wedding cake, even though they taste great. And here comes the idea. My cousin's best friend collected recipes from each wedding guest before the wedding and made a cookbook out of it. It wasn't just written up pages, each guest designed their own page, with pictures or drawings of their favorite recipe. All the pages, ranging from soups, pasta, Sunday dinners, cakes to desserts, were then bound as a book. I think this was a really great gift, since it's a very personal collection, which they will enjoy and look back to for many years.
I chose the brownies, because it's a classic dish, not too complicated and is loved by everybody. You can also dress them up as a fancy dessert, maybe for Valentine's Day. Cut out shapes using a round or heart cookie cutter, serve them warm with some vanilla ice-cream and hot cherry sauce. Lovely!
The occasion was my cousin's wedding in December. No, I didn't make them as a wedding cake, even though they taste great. And here comes the idea. My cousin's best friend collected recipes from each wedding guest before the wedding and made a cookbook out of it. It wasn't just written up pages, each guest designed their own page, with pictures or drawings of their favorite recipe. All the pages, ranging from soups, pasta, Sunday dinners, cakes to desserts, were then bound as a book. I think this was a really great gift, since it's a very personal collection, which they will enjoy and look back to for many years.
I chose the brownies, because it's a classic dish, not too complicated and is loved by everybody. You can also dress them up as a fancy dessert, maybe for Valentine's Day. Cut out shapes using a round or heart cookie cutter, serve them warm with some vanilla ice-cream and hot cherry sauce. Lovely!
BAKED Chocolate Brownies
160 g flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. dark cocoa powder
310 g dark chocolate (at least 60%), chopped coarsely
227 g butter, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 tsp. instant espresso powder
200 g sugar
100 g light brown sugar
5 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 180° C (350° F). Butter a 25x25 cm (or 9x13-inch) baking pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder.
In a bowl over a water bath melt the chocolate together with the butter and the instant espresso powder, while stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and add both sugars. Whisk the sugars until completely combined and remove the bowl from the stove.
Add three eggs to the chocolate/butter mixture and whisk until just combined. Add the remaining eggs and whisk until just combined. Add the vanilla and stir until combined. Be careful to not over beat the batter.
Using a spatula fold in the flour mixture. Pour the mixture into the pan and smooth the top with your spatula. Bake the brownies for 30 minutes (rotate the pan half-way through baking) and check to make sure the brownies are completely done by sticking a toothpick into the center of the pan. The brownies are done when the toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Cool the brownies completely before cutting and serving.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder.
In a bowl over a water bath melt the chocolate together with the butter and the instant espresso powder, while stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and add both sugars. Whisk the sugars until completely combined and remove the bowl from the stove.
Add three eggs to the chocolate/butter mixture and whisk until just combined. Add the remaining eggs and whisk until just combined. Add the vanilla and stir until combined. Be careful to not over beat the batter.
Using a spatula fold in the flour mixture. Pour the mixture into the pan and smooth the top with your spatula. Bake the brownies for 30 minutes (rotate the pan half-way through baking) and check to make sure the brownies are completely done by sticking a toothpick into the center of the pan. The brownies are done when the toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Cool the brownies completely before cutting and serving.
Enjoy and Guten Appetit!
