Brownies: Part 1

As a child, I loved brownies (especially when flavored with mint chocolate chips), and while I've continued to indulge my devotion to chocolate, I usually only treat myself to a few squares of organic dark per day.  So when the craving for chocolate combined with the urge to purge, spring cleaning style, this past weekend, I took a peek in my cupboards and saw that I had just the right amount of ingredients to make some cocoa powder brownies, along with using up some space-consuming pantry items. 


Because of their high fat content, cocoa powder brownies are usually very dense and fudgy instead of cakey.  I substituted whole grain spelt flour for the all purpose, mostly because it was the only grain flour I had, but also because I'm not a huge fan of AP flour.  This recipe only calls for a small amount of flour, and I don't think it made any difference in the texture or taste of the final product.  One of the best parts of this recipe is that it only requires one bowl to mix everything together.  After throwing these together on the fly and sharing them with my Burlesque classmates the next day, I began to wonder if there were any cakey brownie recipes that would be as delicious and satisfying as these were, and then if I could come up with an original recipe that combined the qualities of the two.  Below you'll find my favorite fudgy cocoa powder brownies and next weekend I'll post my results with a caky brownie.  After testing very different recipes, I'll post my own recipe for the best of both worlds.


Best Cocoa Brownies

Epicurious  | November 2003

Alice Medrich

Ingredients:

• 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cold large eggs
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup walnut or pecan pieces (optional)

• Special equipment: An 8-inch square baking pan

Procedure:

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottom and sides of the baking pan with parchment paper or foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides.

Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium heatproof bowl and set the bowl in a wide skillet of barely simmering water. Stir from time to time until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth and hot enough that you want to remove your finger fairly quickly after dipping it in to test. Remove the bowl from the skillet and set aside briefly until the mixture is only warm, not hot.

Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. When the batter looks thick, shiny, and well blended, add the flour and stir until you cannot see it any longer, then beat vigorously for 40 strokes with the wooden spoon or a rubber spatula. Stir in the nuts, if using. Spread evenly in the lined pan.

Bake until a toothpick plunged into the center emerges slightly moist with batter, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely on a rack.

Lift up the ends of the parchment or foil liner, and transfer the brownies to a cutting board. Cut into 16 or 25 squares.

Chocolate note: (from the original recipe)
Any unsweetened natural or Dutch-process cocoa powder works well here. Natural cocoa produces brownies with more flavor complexity and lots of tart, fruity notes. I think it's more exciting. Dutch-process cocoa results in a darker brownie with a mellower, old-fashioned chocolate pudding flavor, pleasantly reminiscent of childhood.

Baked Eggs

Someone recently asked me if I had a good basic recipe for an omelet, and I told him I would do a blog post on it, but then I realized that I don't really make omelets in the traditional sense.  There are a few methods for omelet making, the American, the French, and the Italian.  With the French, the pan is shaken constantly until the eggs are set, and then folded three times around any filling (meats, cheeses, vegetables).  The American method utilizes a rubber spatula to manipulate and stir the egg mixture, which is finished by folding the omelet in half.  Of course, there are more nuances than I'm taking the time to describe here, but if you're interested in the details check out this lesson.

My personal favorite is the Italian method, often called a frittata.  I usually saute an onion, add in some steamed veggies (spinach, arugula, asparagus, broccoli, carrots, zucchini...the options are endless) and top with whatever cheese I've got laying around (usually fresh goat cheese, raw sharp cheddar, or parmigiano reggiano), finished by pouring two eggs into the pan and baking until set and lightly browned on top.  This is such an easy meal to throw together and a really simple, fast, and healthy way to get some protein and vegetables in.  Don't relegate eggs to breakfast, try them for dinner too!

Below is my recipe for baked eggs.  Feel free to be creative and make substitutions; Let me know your favorite combinations!

Baked Eggs with Red Onion, Asparagus, and Parmigiano Reggiano

serves 1-2


Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more if needed
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup thinly slices asparagus
2 organic eggs, whisked with up to two tablespoons of water or milk to make a fluffier omelet
butter (optional)
1/4 cup grated parmigiano reggiano (I use a vegetable peeler to create just a few curls of cheese)
sea salt to taste

Procedure:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (F).
Heat a 8-inch pan over medium heat.  Add about one tablespoon of oil and heat until shimmering.  Saute the onion with a large pinch of salt until translucent, 2-4 minutes.  Add the asparagus and cook for 1-2 minutes, until the color has brightened and they are slightly tender.  If the pan looks very dry, add a bit more oil or small pat of butter.  Toss the ingredients in the pan to distribute the added oil.  Pour the egg mixture into the pan and turn off the heat.  Top the mixture with the grated cheese and bake in the preheated oven until the center of the omelet is firm.  If desired, finish under the broiler for 1-2 minutes, until the top is lightly browned.

To serve, slide the omelet onto a plate or platter.

I served mine with a few potato pancakes and a sliced avocado.  It was a delicious dinner ready in under 20 minutes.