Despite being a from scratch baking devotee, my ultimate brownie has always been the Ghirardelli mix. They are chocolately, intense, fudgy and just everything a good brownie should be. I've been meaning to get around to test the King Arthur Guaranteed Fudge Brownie recipe and only because I saw their Baker's Banter blog post about how the top ends up shiny and crackly like a proper brownie should. Reading that this was the perfect compromise between fudgy and cakey sealed the deal.
Today I whipped these up on a whim/craving so I have no step by step pictures but if you visit the Baker's Banter post they do a great job with the step by step pictures and instructions. The key step is melting the sugar into the butter so as to achieve the shiny top.
My own recipe notes - I doubled the recipe and used a half sheet pan. I've had success with the KA recipes so much that I did not hesitate in doubling. I used 1 3/4 cup of regular cocoa and 3/4 cup of special dark cocoa to simulate the king arthur's catalog cocoa blend. I omitted the coffee only to have a baseline test but did double the vanilla. I also didn't add the chips since brownies are usually chocolatey enough. How did they do? Let's just say I had a Cookie Monster moment where brownie crumbs were flying out of my mouth as I mmmmmm'ed my way through at least 2 pieces. Super fudgy, the dark cocoa giving an intense chocolate hit. The brownies were tender but still with just a bit of cakiness and even though I did not heat my sugar/butter mix enough I had the slightest beginning of shiny crackly top. Mr. Maricucu had his warmed with a scoop of Blue Bunny vanilla ice cream and loved it as well. I no longer have a need for the Ghirardelli mix.
Yum - those are my favorite brownies. The same recipe (without the espresso powder) comes on the flour bag as 'The Best Fudge Brownies Ever'. It's the recipe that saved me from the box mix, too. I like throwing in some chocolate chips, but they definitely stand on their own.
ReplyDeleteMmm. Now I want to bake brownies.
Oh that's good to hear and maybe next time I'll give the chips a try. I miss having nuts too (one of the boys has a nut allergy) otherwise I'd be tossing in some walnuts. Mmmmmm.
ReplyDeleteSidenote, anyone as good with the fiber is bound to have good taste. I believe you've proved my half baked theory correct. ;)