Brownie Recipes!
I have made both the Outrageous Oreo Crunch Brownies and the Fudge Brownies Supreme. Both are fantastic! The third recipe is the original Ina Garten recipe, which I have not tried.
Oh, and NONE of these are diet-friendly. Enjoy
---------------------------------------
Outrageous Oreo Crunch Brownies (Adapted from Ina Garten)
Makes 20 (I got waaaay more than 20 -- more like 40)
4 sticks butter
1 pound semisweet chocolate chips
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate -- chopped
6 eggs
3 tablespoons instant coffee granules
2 tablespoons vanilla
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup plus 1/4 cup flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups chopped Oreo cookies (50 cookies)
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350. Butter and flour an 11 1/2" x 17 1/4" x 1" baking pan. (Use foil to make it easier to get the brownies out of the pan.)
In a heatproof medium bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, heat butter, chocolate chips and unsweetened chocolate until melted and smooth. Allow to cool slightly.
In a large bowl, whisk eggs, coffee, vanilla and sugar. Blend chocolate mixture into egg mixture; cool to room temperature.
In a medium bowl, sift together one cup flour, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to chocolate mixture. In a small bowl, stir Oreos and remaining 1/4 cup flour. Add Oreo mixture to chocolate mixture. Pour batter into baking pan, whack on counter to get out air, and smooth top with a rubber spatula.
Bake 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted 3 inches from center comes out clean; do not overbake. Allow to cool. Refrigerate, tightly wrapped, until cold (if you have time, let them refrigerate overnight); cut into squares.
------------------------------------------------
Fudge Brownies Supreme
from The All-American Cookie Book by Nancy Baggett
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter
5 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, broken up or coarsely chopped
2/3 cup all-purpose white flour
1 1/2 tablespoon unsweetened American-style cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking pan or coat with nonstick spray. Line the pan with aluminum foil, letting the foil overhang two opposing sides of the pan by about 2 inches. Grease the foil or coat with nonstick spray.
In a large microwave-safe bowl, microwave the butter and chocolate on 100 percent power for 1 minute. Stir well. Continue microwaving on 50 percent power, stirring at 30-second intervals. Stop microwaving before the chocolate completely melts and let the residual heat finish the job. (Alternately, in a large, heavy saucepan, melt the chocolate and butter over lowest heat, stirring frequently; be very careful not to burn. Immediately remove from the heat.)
Let cool to warm. In a small bowl, thoroughly stir together the flour, cocoa powder and salt; set aside. Stir the sugar and brown sugar into the chocolate-butter mixture until well combined. Add the eggs and vanilla and stir until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is well blended and smooth. Stir in the flour mixture just until evenly incorporated.
Turn out the batter into the baking pan, spreading to the edges. Bake in the middle of the oven for 28-33 minutes, or until the center is almost firm when tapped and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean except for the bottom 1/4 inch, which should still look moist.
Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let stand until the brownie is completely cooled. Refrigerate until well chilled.
Using the overhanging foil as handles, transfer the brownie to a cutting board. Carefully peel off and discard the foil. If desired, cut away and discard any overbaked edges. Using a large sharp knife, cut the brownie into 12 bars; wipe the knife clean between cuts.
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month. If freezing, leave the brownie slab whole, then cut into bars when partially thawed.
---------------------------------------
Outrageous Brownies
Makes 20 Large Brownies
Inspiration for this recipe came frm the Chocolate Glob in the SOHO Charcuterie Cookbook published by William Morrow in 1983. In its heyday, the SoHo Charcuterie was the cutting edge of New York restaurants. The giant confection was a blob of chocolate dough filled with chocolate chips and nuts. I thought I could make a brownie with almost the same formula. They've been flying out the door for fiteen years!
1 Pound unsalted butter
1 Pound plus 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
6 extra-large eggs
3 tablespoons instant coffee granules
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups chopped walnuts
Preheat the oven to 350�. Butter and flour a 12 x 18 x 1-inch baking sheet. Melt together the butter, 1 pound of chocolate chips, and the unsweetened chocolate in a medium bowl over simmering water. Allow to cool slightly. In a large bowl, stir (do not beat) together the eggs, coffee granules, vanilla, and sugar. Stir the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and allow to cool to room temperature.
In a medium bowl, sift together 1 cup of flour, the baking powder, and salt. Add to the cooled chocolate mixture. Toss the walnuts and 12 ounces of chocolate chips in a medium bowl with 1/4 cup of flour, then add them to the chocolate batter. Pour into the baking sheet.
Bake for 20 minutes, then rap the baking sheet against the oven shelf to force the air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Bake for about 15 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake! Allow to cool thoroughly, refrigerate, and cut into 20 large squares.
Notes from Contessa: Flouring the chips and walnuts keeps them from sinking to the bottom. It is very important to allow the butter to cool well before adding the chocolate chips, or the chips will melt and ruin the brownies. This recipe can be baked up to a week in advance, wrapped in plastic and refrigerated.
