More Brownies!

Time for brownies.

Again.

 

 

One can never have brownies too often, so I just keep trying out different variations on chocolate.

These are rich, dense, and fudgy and you only need one bowl to mess up for the batter and one 9 x 13- inch pan to bake in.

Here's the latest brownie batch:

1 cup butter (2 sticks), melted  (I always use unsalted butter.)

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 TB vanilla

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup cocoa

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup chocolate chips (bittersweet or semisweet)

 

Heat oven to 350°.

Line a 9 x 13-inch pan with parchment paper and butter it or use non-stick spray.

 

In a large bowl, whisk together butter, sugar, and vanilla until smooth.

Whisk in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Stir in flour, cocoa, and salt.

  

Spread batter in prepared pan.  Bake about 25 minutes, or until outer 2-3 inches are set.  You want moist crumbs on a toothpick.  Doesn't have to set all the way because it will continue to cook in the pan.

Let cool.

After cooling the brownies, I cut them into squares and sandwiched them together with chocolate ganache.  Then, since I subscribe to the notion that more is more, I cooked up some caramel to add to the partay.

Melted butter and sugar.

 

 

 

 

Add vanilla.

Add in eggs, one at a time.

Flour in.

Cocoa powder.

Stir until smooth.

Fold in chips.

Pour into prepared pan.

Ready to bake.

Let cool.

Slice into squares.

I like to add more chocolate to the chocolate, so I'm making chocolate ganache, which is simply a mixture of cream and chocolate.  It can be used as a filling, frosting, sauce, or glaze, depending on its consistency.

For the ganache:

I pour about a cup of heavy cream into a bowl and nuke it until the cream is hot.  Then I pour about 8 ounces of chocolate chips into the hot cream.  Let the chocolate melt, then stir until smooth.  If you like, you can flavor your ganache.  You can booze it up with a teaspoon or so of rum. Or you can sprinkle in some espresso powder for a coffee kick.  Flavoring is up to you, as is the consistency of the ganache.  I refrigerate whatever ganache I don't use, then reheat later to pour over ice cream.

Next, I decided to go a little further with caramel.

Usually when I make caramel, I carefully and painstakingly melt sugar in a small saucepan, watching it like a mother hen so it melts slowly and doesn't burn.  I've found a new recipe for caramel sauce that takes the worry out of melting sugar and it's super easy.

Caramel Sauce

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/2 stick butter (4 oz)

1/2 cup cream

1 TB vanilla

1/2 tsp kosher salt

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer over low heat, whisking until thickened, about 8-10 minutes.  It will thicken more as it cools.  You can drizzle the warm sauce over the brownies and refrigerate what you don't use.  Reheat to use over ice cream.