Chocolate Brownies Recipe

Recipe: Double decadence chocolate cake

Double decadence chocolate cake

Prep time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Serves 12

Irene Wakabayashi of Elk Grove and Suzanne Munoz of Orangevale miss the chocolate decadence cake that used to be sold at Raley's and Bel Air markets. Wakabayashi says it's the best melt-in-your-mouth chocolate decadence cake she has ever eaten. They were hoping for the recipe.

We haven't received Raley's and Bel Air's recipe, but Janice Henderson of Elverta created this recipe, which she says tastes a lot like the cake sold at the markets. She says it's a lot of work, but well worth it.

If you want to make brownies only, just prepare them using the bittersweet chocolate brownies ingredients and instructions and an 8-inch square baking pan.

Note: The prep time does not include the overnight chill time for the brownie-chocolate mousse cake portion of the recipe or the 15-minute chill time for the bowl and beaters used in making the whipped cream.

You may make your own whipped cream or use the recipe Henderson provided, however, her recipe will make more than you need.

INGREDIENTS

Bittersweet chocolate brownies:

8 ounces of 70 percent bittersweet chocolate, chopped

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut up

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Chocolate mousse cake:

9 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped (not more than 62 percent cacao content)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut up

4 eggs

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

Stabilized whipped cream:

1/4 cup powdered sugar

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 pint cold whipping cream, divided use

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS

For the bittersweet chocolate brownies:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 8½-inch springform pan. Melt 8 ounces chocolate and butter in medium, heat-proof bowl set over a saucepan filled with 1 inch of almost-simmering water. The bowl should not touch water. Stir frequently until almost melted. Remove from heat; stir until melted.

Beat eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt in medium bowl at high speed for 2 minutes or until thick and light-colored. At low speed, beat the melted chocolate until combined. Fold in flour.

Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until edges are puffed and slightly cracked and toothpick inserted 2 inches from edge comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Cool completely on wire rack. Center will sink slightly.

Recipe for Gluten Free, Sugar Free Chewy Chocolate Vegan Date Brownies

I’ve been baking all day, Monday through Friday, and whenever I can on the weekends.  How many times should I make Blueberry Crumble Bars or Quinoa Carob Chip Cookies for a cookbook?  Until I get them just right.

The recipe for a cookbook seems to be 3 parts cooking and 1 part writing, with lots of thinking in between.  That’s the one very big singular thing that’s been going on lately.

And, then, once in a while I sneak in a different recipe just for fun. I know – most people would take a break from baking.  Not me.

The Forgotten Recipe Brownies

I have a sort of obsession with brownies.  About four months ago I made the perfect brownie.  It was late.  I was tired.  And, in my fogginess I thought I’d write the recipe down later.

It’s not an unusual thing for me to do.  Most of the time, I note changes as I go but quite often I get in a groove and don’t bother to stop until the food is in the oven.

Well, when the time came to write down what I did I couldn’t remember.  A total blank.

I’ve tried relentlessly to recreate my perfect brownies.  These are quite different from the Forgotten Recipe Brownies but they’re still darn good.  And I made sure to write it down.

Out of the Oven

When I took them out of the oven I thought there was no way in the world they’d taste good.  They just looked ‘wrong.’  But, after they cooled and sat for an hour to so I was taken by their earthy, slightly sticky, chewy texture.

Eat these for a snack, dessert, or even breakfast – they’re sweetened with nutrient dense dates and they’re fat free. I didn’t try to leave out the fat.  It just happened.

What to do with leftovers? If you have any, layer these chocolaty treats with wax paper, wrap them up, and pop them in the freezer.  No need to defrost – they freeze just solid enough so you can still bite into them.

Some other brownies recipes you might like…

Fudgey Teff Brownies from Gluten-Free in SLC Avocado & Black Bean Brownies from Cara’s Cravings Triple Chocolate Fudgey Brownies from Flour Arrangements Egg Free, Grain Free Vegan Brownies from The Spunky Coconut

Update 9/15/10 – This post is linked to Real Food Wednesday .

Do you have a favorite brownies recipe? Tell me about it.