Monday, November 19, 2012

BEST EVER?



BEST EVER?

The brownie is as American as apple pie.  According to unscientific research, Wikipedia, the brownie was developed by a chef at Chicago’s Palmer House Hotel at the end of the 19th century after Bertha Palmer requested a dessert for ladies attending the Chicago Worlds  Fair. Palmer wanted a dessert  smaller than a piece of cake, though still retaining cake-like characteristics and easily eaten from boxed lunches.  Thus this classic American confection was  created. This weeks recipe for the TWD baking group is called “Best Ever Brownies.”  Now, “Best Ever” is a pretty big claim.   While on the one hand, I’m wary of absolutes; on the other hand, however, a recipe in a big fat cookbook containing over 400 recipes needs a sexy title to  grab a baker’s attention. After all, I doubt many bakers would dirty up their kitchens for a recipe titled “Mediocre Brownies,” “Plain Old Brownies,” or worse yet  “Ho Hum Brownies.”  




This recipe is fairly simple.   It calls for a half pound of butter and both unsweetened and bittersweet chocolate. (What’s not to love about that.)  While some bakers in the group found the the suggested baking time, 28 mins, insufficient, I didn’t have a problem.  My brownies baked up nicely in the suggested time. The recipe produces a dense brownie with a fudgey center and a crackly outer crust.  It is sweet and buttery but not overly sweet. Given the amount of fat the recipe calls for, 2 sticks of butter, 4 eggs, for a 9x9 pan of brownies, these are pretty rich.  Is it the "Best Ever Brownie?"  I’d say these brownies are pretty darn good,but you can judge for yourself.  Go to Tuesdays With Dorie for the recipe or better yet buy the book Baking With Julia by Dorie Greenspan.  






5 comments:

  1. Yours look like the way I like them! These were good; but best ever?... Mine were more on the cakey side - though the pictures make them look fudgier (not a word I know)than they were.

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  2. I would say these are the best ever chewy without nuts brownies. But hey, I have many brownie categories! It was delicious.

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  3. Your brownies look a lot like the ones my grandmother makes for Christmas parties - with the lovely crackly crust and fudgey insides! I can't say I think these were truly the "best ever", but they were pretty good. Nice job!

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  4. Darn good almost describes them. These are soooo good.

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  5. Fun post & emjoyed the brownie history!

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