Welcome!

Welcome to Natasha's Creative Confections! If you have stumbled upon this blog page, then you're in for a real treat! One of my favorite things to do is bake. If you choose to read on you will find pictures and recipes of some of the fabulous treats that I have created. So take a look around and enjoy!

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Scrumptious Chocolatey Brownies!


Homemade brownies are delicious! I never would have said that before I made these. I am not a big brownie person, but homemade brownies, and specifically these homemade brownies were amazing! I have to share the recipe because they are outstanding and so you can enjoy them as well :)

The recipe comes from a modern cookbook called: Baked: New Frontiers in Baking by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Their cookbook takes traditional baked goods and add something modern or different to make it stand out. This brownie recipe has been awarded as the Best Brownie by America's Test Kitchen on The Today Show. I was very impressed!

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. dark unsweetened cocoa powder
11 ounces dark chocolate (60-72% cacao), coarsely chopped
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1-in. pieces
1 tsp. instant espresso powder
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly backed light brown sugar
5 large eggs, at room temp.
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the sides and bottom of a 9-by13-inch glass or light-colored metal baking pan.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and cocoa powder together.
3. Put the chocolate, butter, and instant espresso powder in a large bowl and set it over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. Turn off the heat, but keep the bowl over the water and add the sugars. Whisk until completely combined, then remove the bowl from the pan. The mixture should be room temperature.
4. Add 3 eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Add the remaining 2 eggs and whisk until combined. Add the vanilla and stir until combined. Do not over beat the batter at this stage or your brownies will be cakey.
5. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the chocolate mixture. Using a spatula (not a whisk), fold the flour mixture into the chocolate until just a bit of the flour mixture is visible.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs sticking to it. Let the brownies cool completely, then cut them into squares and serve.

I hope you think they are as delicious as I did! I think that the brown sugar adds A LOT of flavor. I also sprinkled the top of the batter in the pan with semisweet chocolate chips to make them a little more chocolatey :)

2 comments:

  1. Seriously I had to give the last two away because I kept eating them! : )

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  2. I can't believe I didn't know you had this blog- it is so fun! I have heard this recipe won the 'best brownie' award but have never tried it. Now I am motivated!!

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