{"id":1648,"date":"2013-08-10T14:12:24","date_gmt":"2013-08-10T12:12:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.roadtopastry.com\/blog\/?p=1648"},"modified":"2013-08-21T01:12:21","modified_gmt":"2013-08-20T23:12:21","slug":"chocolate-fudge-brownies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.roadtopastry.com\/blog\/recipes\/cookies-and-brownies\/chocolate-fudge-brownies","title":{"rendered":"Recipe: Chocolate fudge brownies"},"content":{"rendered":"

Brownies<\/strong> are the perfect treat for chocolate lovers<\/strong>!<\/p>\n

\"Chocolate<\/a><\/p>\n

These dense American pastries<\/strong> are very easy to make<\/strong>, and they are usually baked in a sheet pan and cut into squares<\/strong> or bars. Their consistency can vary from fudgy<\/strong> to cakey, depending on the recipe and on the cook’s philosophy. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

Brownies are homey products<\/strong> that can nevertheless be easily enhanced to become a refined dessert<\/strong>, with the addition of flavourings<\/strong> (e.g. extracts, nuts, jams) or icing (e.g. cream cheese).<\/p>\n

\"Chocolate<\/a><\/p>\n

Traditionally, at home they are just baked and dusted with powdered sugar<\/strong>, while in restaurants they are served with whipped cream<\/strong> or a scoop of vanilla ice cream<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The role of the main ingredients in recipes of brownies<\/h3>\n

– Butter<\/strong>: a high percentage of butter to flour tends to produce a dense, fudge brownie<\/strong>; the high quantity of fat in the recipe will also help in having completely flat product<\/strong> after baking. The fat coats the flour<\/strong>, preventing the protein from developing into gluten.<\/p>\n

– Flour<\/strong>: the proteins in flour are responsible for forming gluten<\/strong> in contact with a liquid. If that liquid is a fat like butter (or A LOT of butter<\/strong> like in this recipe), the gluten strands are loosened<\/strong> and the result will be a very soft product<\/strong> with a light structure.<\/p>\n

– Sugar<\/strong>: the higher the ratio of sugar, the gooier the finished brownie<\/strong> will be. Sugar is used while whipping eggs or creaming butter because it gives the batter<\/p>\n

– Eggs<\/strong>: they provide liquids and fats but also the air that is necessary as leavener<\/strong> in the recipe when they are whipped. A high quantity of eggs, though, will result in a crumb structure that is more typical of cakes than brownies.<\/p>\n

– Chocolate<\/strong>: of course it is the main flavouring<\/strong> in brownie recipes but it also helps developing a dense and rich structure. I suggest using an unsweetened<\/strong> chocolate (e.g. 70%), to compensate for the high quantity of sugar.<\/p>\n

How to make chocolate brownies?<\/h3>\n

\"Chocolate<\/a><\/p>\n

Brownies do not contain any baking powder<\/strong> and the only leavener is the air incorporated during the mixing process<\/strong>. Some recipes call for creamed butter, some others only for whipped eggs (rarely for whipped egg whites since this would make the texture too light and cakelike).<\/p>\n

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  1. Melt chocolate and butter<\/strong> over a double boiler<\/li>\n
  2. Whip eggs and sugar<\/strong> until they form the ribbon<\/li>\n
  3. Stir in the melted chocolate<\/strong> mixture<\/li>\n
  4. Stir in flour<\/strong> and other flavourings<\/li>\n
  5. Bake<\/strong> until the batter is set but not dry. You can usually know a cakes is fully baked when a toothpick comes out clean, but you might want to get brownies out of the oven a few minutes before<\/strong> that (personally I like them extremely moist<\/strong>!).<\/li>\n
  6. Let the brownies cool completely<\/strong> in the pan before cutting. For a clean cut, you can freeze<\/strong> them before portioning.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    So finally, after all this theoretical stuff, here’s my step-by-step recipe for chocolate fudge brownies!<\/p>\n

    Disclaimer: they are indeed irresistible<\/strong>, but I decline all responsibility for your levels of cholesterol or diabetes!<\/em> \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

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    Chocolate fudge brownies<\/h2>\n
    \n \n \"\"Print recipe<\/a>\n