PERFECT BROWNIES...?

For me perfect Brownies have to be chocolatey but not too sweet. Moist but not gooey.  Melting but with a little chew. Rich in flavour and texture, but at the same time soft and light. Topped with a thin crispy layer of dough and studded with tasty slightly crunchy walnuts - YUM! A Brownie has to always leave you craving for three one more.

The first Brownies I've ever had were exactly like that. Needless to say, I was hooked. You know when you connect with a flavour - I call it the 'Nutella Syndrom'. There is only one Nutella: Perfection in a jar! And you know when you taste it. And no other chocolate spread can be nuts enough to even think to come close. But how do you know? How do you remember? What glorious section in your brain is dedicated to recall something you tasted? Even after years? And what stubborn section tells you to not let go? To never settle for less?

Well, here's to the tragedy: that perfect Brownie recipe got lost. But that's no problem you would say, just google 'Perfect Brownies', et Voila! But not so. It's not like with Nutella where there's only one. No, no, next to tons of recipes, the perfect Brownie furthermore lies on the pallet of the beholder: there's gooey, cakey, squidgy, fluffy, dense and soft, there's bitter-sweet, sicklish-sweet, mixed with marshmallows, pumpkin puree, peanut butter, and glossed. There's every version of mixing and making, flavouring and baking - some of them even include jumping three times over a cat at midnight (yes, just kidding!). But what they all have in common  is, that they are perfectly perfect for those who chose to love them. Luckily I managed to find again my perfect Brownies, and will they be yours?

Tips: 
- The main flavour in Brownies is of course chocolate, and some recipes say to use a high-quality chocolate. I use a 57% no-name chocolate that tastes rather nice, and it works well.

- Do not use cake flower but instead use all-purpose flour. It has a higher gluten content and seems to work better. 
- Use an oven tin that conducts heat well and heats up quickly. A ceramic dish takes too long to heat up.

- I found that I have better results when using the conventional function on my oven rather than fan-assisted. 
- Fight the temptation to eat your Brownies while still warm. They do improve in taste and texture once fully cooled.

Recipe adjusted from: American Brownies, from Delia Smith's Complete Illustrated Cookery Course

(The original recipe is too gooey for my taste so I add twice the amount of flour that makes them lighter. I also use twice the amount of chocolate (57% cocoa content), and a little less sugar to balance the sweeter chocolate.)

Makes 16:

110 g butter

100g good chocolate (app. 60% cocoa content), broken up in small pieces

2 eggs

200g granulated white sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

100g all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt

110g walnuts, coarsely chopped

Baking tin, 20 x 20 cm (8 x 8 inches)

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C (do not use fan-assisted if possible, or reduce the temperature by 20°C). Grease the tin with a little vegetable oil, then line the bottom with grease-proof paper.

Melt the butter and chocolate over simmering water. Alternatively you can do this in the microwave, in which case stir every 20 seconds to make sure the chocolate does not crystallise. Leave on the side to cool. 

Beat the eggs together with the sugar with a wire whisk for app. 3 minutes or until the sugar has dissolved (don't overbeat!). Add the vanilla extract and stir under. Add the cooled chocolate to the egg mix and combine.

Mix the flour with the baking powder and salt, then sift the mixture over the chocolate-egg mix. Stir in gently.

Add the chopped nuts, then pour the mixture into the prepared dish and spread it out evenly.

Bake in the pre-heated oven for 30 minutes or until the mixture starts to shrink away from the sides and the centre feels springy. Do not open the oven door during baking. A toothpick inserted into the centre should come out clean with maybe a couple of cake crumbs attached. Don't overcook, the brownies will firm up as they cool!

Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Cut into 16 squares. The Brownies can be stored in a tin in the fridge for up to 3 days. 

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BROWNIES

Makes 16:

110 g butter

100g good chocolate (app. 60% cocoa content), broken up in small pieces

2 eggs

200g granulated white sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

100g all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt

110g walnuts, coarsely chopped

Baking tin, 20 x 20 cm (8 x 8 inches)

1) Pre-heat the oven to 180°C (do not use fan-assisted if possible, or reduce the temperature by 20°C). 

2) Grease the baking tin with a little vegetable oil, then line the bottom with grease-proof paper.

3) Melt butter and chocolate: Melt the butter and chocolate over simmering water. Alternatively you can do this in the microwave, in which case stir every 20 seconds to make sure the chocolate does not crystallise. Leave on the side to cool. 

4) Cream the butter with the eggs: Beat the eggs together with the sugar with a wire whisk for app. 3 minutes or until the sugar has dissolved (don't overbeat!). 

5) Add vanilla and melted chocolate: Add the vanilla extract and stir under. Add the cooled chocolate to the egg mix and combine.

6) Add the dry ingredients: Mix the flour with the baking powder and salt, then sift the mixture over the chocolate-egg mix. Stir in gently.

7) Nüsse unterheben: Add the chopped nuts. 

8) Pour the mixture into the baking dish: Pour the mixture into the prepared dish and spread it out evenly.

9) Bake: Bake in the pre-heated oven for 30 minutes or until the mixture starts to shrink away from the sides and the centre feels springy. Do not open the oven door during baking. A toothpick inserted into the centre should come out clean with maybe a couple of cake crumbs attached. Don't overcook, the brownies will firm up as they cool!

10) Cool: Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes. 

11) Serve: Cut into 16 squares. 

Store: The Brownies can be stored in a lidded tin in the fridge for up to 3 days. 

Tips: 

- The main flavour in Brownies is of course chocolate, and some recipes say to use a high-quality chocolate. I use a 57% no-name chocolate that tastes rather nice, and it works well.

- Do not use cake flower but instead use all-purpose flour. It has a higher gluten content and seems to work better. 

- Use an oven tin that conducts heat well and heats up quickly. A ceramic dish takes too long to heat up.

- I found that I have better results when using the conventional function on my oven rather than fan-assisted. 

- Fight the temptation to eat your Brownies while still warm. They do improve in taste and texture once fully cooled.