Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Classic unsweetened chocolate brownies

Classic unsweetened chocolate brownies / Brownies clássicos da Alice Medrich

My sister has a lot of friends, and that really makes me happy – I would never wish on her the lonely teenage years I had; some of her friends know I have a food blog and a couple of them read me from time to time.

A while ago I gave my sister and one of her friends a lift somewhere – the girl entered the car, my sister introduced us and then she very bluntly said: “I would love to have a brownie right now”. :D

When they got back from vacation I baked these brownies and told my sister to send some especially to Nicole – I love straight people who don’t beat around the bush. :D

Classic unsweetened chocolate brownies
from the amazing chocolate bible Bittersweet: Recipes and Tales from a Life in Chocolate

112g (4oz) unsweetened chocolate, chopped*
½ cup (113g/1 stick) unsalted butter
1 ¼ cups (250g) caster (superfine) sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cold large eggs
½ cup (70g) all purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F. Line the bottom and sides of a lightly buttered 20cm (8in) square baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sites; butter the foil as well.
Place the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water and stir frequently until chocolate is melted. Remove bowl from the heat and stir in the sugar, vanilla and salt. Add the eggs, one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Stir in the flour and beat with a rubber spatula until batter is smooth and glossy, 1-2 minutes. Transfer the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface.
Bake for about 20 minutes – the surface will look dry but a skewer inserted in the center will come out quite gooey.
Fill a roasting pan or large baking pan with ice cubes and add about 2cm (¾in) water. When the brownies are ready, remove the pan from the oven and immediately set it in the ice bath – be careful not to splash water on the brownies.
Cool completely, then carefully remove from the pan using the foil handles. Cut into squares.

* if using 70% cocoa chocolate: 180g (6½oz) chocolate, 7 tablespoons (98g) unsalted butter and 1 cup (200g) caster (superfine) sugar; omit the water bath

Makes 16

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Going to give these a go!

frances said...

wow...these look amazing! definitely going to try them when I get home today.

Tamaravvo said...

Брауниз люблю, как и все шоколадное! Пеку часто!

Maria said...

They sound delicious, I would probably prefer them unsweetened anyway!

Xiaolu @ 6 Bittersweets said...

I tried these before and they are fabulous. Love straight-talking people too!

Unknown said...

Now that everyone knows about my blog I'm always getting requests. These brownies look scrumptious!

Min {Honest Vanilla} said...

Cute story :) Love all your brownies, unsweetened, triple choc, chocolate almond and white!

Andrea said...

Patricia, I would love to have a brownie right now.:D :D

These brownies really sound delicious and very moist which is, in my opinion, the most important quality of good brownies. :)

Patricia Scarpin said...

MBLS, I hope you do!

Frances, thank you for stopping by!

Tamaravvo, I love brownies, too!

Maria, these are to die for!

Xiaolu, Alice Medrich's brownie recipes are the best around. :)

Baking Monster, I love getting requests, don't you? ;)
Thank you!

Min, thank you, sweetie!
xx

Andrea, :D:D:D
I love gooey brownies, too - they're the best!

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