Brownie is considered one of the most ordered desserts in the world. It is called so because of its thick brown color. Surprisingly, despite the direct association of the dessert with chocolate, milk chocolate was not present in the first recipes used in America. And the brown color was given to it by molasses and pecans. How is brownie made?
What is brownie?
Sweet, juicy cakes with a rich chocolate flavor, an appetizing crust and a viscous, slightly moist base. They are served as a dessert both warm and cold.
For the first time, brownies were prepared in the USA by the famous American actress Katharine Hepburn in 1897. According to legend, the actress passed on her unique recipe to the journalist Liz Smith, who in 1923 wrote a gossip column in major American publications. It was she who published the recipe for the actress. Since then, brownies have gained even more popularity. The recipe has been slightly modified, with new ingredients such as dark chocolate, nuts and even powdered sugar. However, the classics remained classics.
Real brownie recipe from actress Katharine Hepburn
For cooking, take one common bowl. All components are very easily mixed with a mixer in a common cup until smooth. It is recommended to add only unsweetened, the bitter chocolate with 50% cocoa to these brownies. there is no sugar in it. As for nuts, you can completely abandon them or add them to your liking - those that you love, or those that go well with dessert.
Katharine Hepburn recommended making brownies with chocolate drips (a special confectionery ingredient). Thanks to this essence, the baked goods have received a breathtaking chocolate flavor.
For 16 servings of cakes:
- dark chocolate - 40 g
- defrosted cream oil - 120 g
- granulated sugar - 200 g
- eggs - 2 pcs.
- vanilla extract - 10 g
- flour varieties - 35 g
- walnuts - 100 g
- chocolate drops, essence - 10 pcs.
- salt on the tip of a knife
Step by step recipe:
- Boil water and place a saucepan over open boiling water. Put a broken chocolate bar and butter in it. Wait until everything is melted and mix.
- Remove the saucepan from the stove and add sugar and vanillin.
- Beat the eggs and add a thin stream one by one to the chocolate, stirring thoroughly.
- Add sifted flour and a pinch of salt. Send chopped chopped nuts and a few chocolate drops there.
- It’s the mixer’s turn, to “marry” everything.
- Pour the dough into a flat form (silicone or metal, but laid with parchment and oiled) and place it in an oven preheated to 160 ° C.
- After 25-30 minutes, check the dough with a wooden stick for readiness. There should be no liquid inside the cake.
- Cool brownie on the table. Cover with cellophane or foil and send to the refrigerator directly in a baking sheet.
- Cut into 16 equal cubes before serving. Serve like a cake.
Brownie with chocolate and coconut
Structure:
- any chocolate (better bitter) - 100 g
- butter, butter - 70 g
- heavy cream - 150 ml
- egg - 2 pcs.
- flour varieties - 130 g
- sugar - 180 g
- dry cocoa powder - 80 g
- vanillin - 10 g
- coconut flakes - 30-40 g
- baking powder confectionery - 7 g
- salt on the tip of a knife
Step by step recipe:
- Combine sifted flour with granulated sugar, dry cocoa, vanilla, salt, baking powder and coconut.
- Combine soft butter with eggs and cream. Whisk well with a blender or whisk. Until the mass becomes creamy.
- Combine the contents of the first bowl with the second, stirring everything well until smooth. Break the chocolate into an almost finished dough into small slices.
- Turn on the oven at 160 ° C.
- Grease the mold with butter and sprinkle with flour. Pour the prepared brownie dough into it. Bake for 25 minutes.
- Traditionally, check readiness with a match. Cool on the table and serve, cut into portions.
Secrets of making brownies
For novice cooks, it's best to use traditional recipes to get the classic brownies. However, with small experiments and advice "you can't spoil the porridge with butter."
- So, for example, if you do not like dark chocolate, replace it with regular black or milk. And if you are allergic or intolerant to cocoa, then white chocolate will do.
- The sticky consistency of the pie can be achieved due to the increased content of butter and a larger volume of chocolate in the composition.
- If you want a traditional chocolate muffin, then you need to achieve friability. Sift flour before adding to the dough, and beat each liquid ingredient separately. Double the serving of baking powder.
- It is important to use only good chocolate - after all, this is the most important ingredient that directly affects the taste of brownie. If you have a choice between a regular, inexpensive product and a small bar, but good chocolate, it is better to choose the latter. The result will tell for itself!
- You should not miss the moment when it is time to remove the melted chocolate from the stove. If you overexpose it, then delamination and even burning cannot be avoided. Such a product can only be thrown away.
- All ingredients of a delicious brownie should be at room temperature when mixing, not cold.
- Don't overdo it with nuts, fruits, and flavors. After all, brownie is an amazing dessert that, thanks to chocolate, has a natural but rich taste.
- If you want something new and different, safe additions are fresh cherries / cherries and chopped nuts.
- For a century, the ideal temperature and time for baking brownies were selected: 160 degrees (in an already preheated oven) and 25 minutes with the possibility of extending by 5 minutes. If you bake less, it will turn out liquid, longer - dry.
- Allowing the brownie to cool after baking and then chilling it will prevent the dessert from crumbling when divided into cakes.
Types of traditional brownies
The American dessert has various variations, among which the most common are: fudgy brownies - that is, brownies with a liquid, slightly moist center (translated as "alive"), as well as sakelike brownies - classic chocolate brownies invented by Katharine Hepburn. The second in taste and consistency is a cross between cakes and muffins.
The chewy brownie is more viscous than its predecessors. How can this be achieved? Add an extra couple of raw eggs to the dough.
Blondies - the same brownie, but "blonde". Despite the pun, this version of the cake is also called brownie due to the similarity of tastes and compositions. However, the recipe does not include dark chocolate or cocoa powder, but rather brown sugar or white chocolate. The composition of the blondie dessert, as well as in the brownie, contains cream, butter and chicken eggs.
