I wanted to make brownies the other night and had to hunt and hunt before I finally found the recipe stuck in some random file. Normally I'm pretty anal about filing my recipes but I can never decide what category to file brownies under - cookies? cakes? dessert? Where do you file your brownie recipes?
I've been in a brownie rut since 1972 when I first tasted my mother-in-law's recipe. She cut them in tiny squares and rolled them in powdered sugar. The secret to these brownies is to under-bake them so they have a mousse-like quality. This is how good they are: once when my kids were little there was a tornado sighted in our area and the wind was blowing so hard I thought our little ranch house was a goner. I grabbed the kids and headed to the hallway where we huddled down and said our prayers. I opened my eyes, looked into the kitchen and saw the platter of brownies I'd just made. It occurred to me that if we were going to die we might as well die happy, so I made a mad dash into the kitchen, grabbed the brownies and we all chowed down until the threat was over.
This recipe has made the rounds - we used it when I worked for Barrows deli in Tampa (I think they still make them) and also when I ran Gourmet To Go for Very Vera in Augusta. The great thing about this recipe is it lends itself to so many variations. At Valentines, we cut them in triangles and dipped the edges in white or dark chocolate. I remember swirling them with cream cheese and raspberry preserves, using them in trifles with chocolate mousse layered in between. They're pretty at Christmas if you put a thin layer of mint frosting and then top that with a dark chocolate glaze. And sprinkles.
The best variation is simple: take them out of the oven, cover the top with a combination of white and dark chocolate chips and macadamia nuts and cover with foil for a few minutes until the chocolate softens up. I call them JT's Devil Brownies. JT stands for James Taylor.
My brother, "Blue Lou" Marini, plays sax with James and when they're touring anywhere near us, my husband and I get to hang out backstage. James knows I would give my eye teeth to sing with him, so I gave him one of my brownies as a bribe. I didn't make it one stage, but at intermission, James said, "Sue - these are DEVIL BROWNIES!" I've called them JT's Devil Brownies ever since.
Here's the recipe - have fun playing with it. It's especially good if you add a good quality imported dark chocolate cocoa. (NOT Hershey's Dark - all it does is turn them black, no flavor.)
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup melted butter
1 cup flour (sift before measuring)
1 cup cocoa (I use a mix of regular and dark)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
Chopped nuts (optional)
Beat eggs until creamy. Add sugar 1/4 cup at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition.
Blend melted butter, sifted flout, cocoa and salt together (I use a whisk) and add to egg mixture. Blend well, add vanilla and nuts if using.
Pour into well-greased 13"x9" pan. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE. I actually start checking them at 20 minutes. Cool. Cut into squares. Roll in powdered sugar or leave in pan and frost.
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