A
abooja
Guest
These are what I refer to as my "classy brownies", as opposed to the recipe on the back of the Baker's Chocolate box. 
This recipe is from Chocolatier magazine. (Cutiepie, I thought it was Bon Appetit, but I had forgotten.) I highly recommend it!
YIELD: 24 brownies
PREPARATION: 30 minutes plus baking and cooling times
Allow the brownies to set at room temperature for at last 6 hours or overnight before cutting.
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon double acting baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
14 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup granulated sugar
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
3 large eggs, chilled
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups coarsely chopped walnut halves, divided
9 ounces Swiss dark chocolate, cut into 1/4-inch chunks, divided
1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees Fahenheit. Line a 13-by-9-1/2-inch baking pan with a double thickness of aluminum foil so that the foil extends 2-inches beyond the two short ends of the pan. Fold the overhang down along the sides of the pan. Butter the bottom of the foil-lined pan.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Place the semisweet chocolate in a large bowl.
3. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, butter, corn syrup and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the butter melts, the sugar is dissolved and the mixture comes to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the hot syrup over the chocolate. Let the mixture stand for 1 to 2 minutes, to melt the chocolate. Whisk until smooth.
4. One at a time, whisk in the eggs, blending until smooth. Whisk in the vanilla and the flour mixture, mixing until the batter is smooth. Using a rubber spatula, fold in 1 cup of the walnuts and 6 ounces of the Swiss chocolate chunks.
5. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of walnuts and 3 ounces of chocolate chunks over the top of the batter. Bake the brownies for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center of the brownie comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it.
6. Cool the brownies in the pan set on a wire rack. When the brownies are completely cool, cover the pan of brownies with plastic wrap and let the brownies set at room temperature for at least 6 hours or overnight.
7. Invert the brownies onto a large plate or cutting board. Remove the pan and carefully peel off the foil. Invert again onto a smooth cutting surface and cut into 24 bars. Store the brownies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to five days.
A few notes:
I always use a 15-1/2" x 10-1/2" pan, so I don't do the foil thing, and just recently starting using parchment paper on the bottom, and buttering the sides. Also, if you do this, you can cook it for around 10 minutes less, and cooling time is much shorter as well.
I used to use Hershey's Dark for the 9-ounce dark chocolate chunk part, but a friend recently told me they changed their recipe (??), so I switched to Lindt 70% Cocoa Extra Fine dark chocolate. Worked pretty well.
As for the 14-ounce semisweet chocolate part (the stuff that gets melted), feel free to be creative. This last time, I used 6 ounces of Nestle semisweet chocolate chips, around 6 ounces of this gourmet dark chocolate I buy in bulk from Baker's Catalogue, and around 2-3 ounces of the Lindt dark chocolate. Any quality semisweet or dark chocolate (or combination thereof) will do, as long as it's not milk chocolate!!
Enjoy!
This recipe is from Chocolatier magazine. (Cutiepie, I thought it was Bon Appetit, but I had forgotten.) I highly recommend it!
YIELD: 24 brownies
PREPARATION: 30 minutes plus baking and cooling times
Allow the brownies to set at room temperature for at last 6 hours or overnight before cutting.
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon double acting baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
14 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup granulated sugar
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
3 large eggs, chilled
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups coarsely chopped walnut halves, divided
9 ounces Swiss dark chocolate, cut into 1/4-inch chunks, divided
1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees Fahenheit. Line a 13-by-9-1/2-inch baking pan with a double thickness of aluminum foil so that the foil extends 2-inches beyond the two short ends of the pan. Fold the overhang down along the sides of the pan. Butter the bottom of the foil-lined pan.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Place the semisweet chocolate in a large bowl.
3. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, butter, corn syrup and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the butter melts, the sugar is dissolved and the mixture comes to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the hot syrup over the chocolate. Let the mixture stand for 1 to 2 minutes, to melt the chocolate. Whisk until smooth.
4. One at a time, whisk in the eggs, blending until smooth. Whisk in the vanilla and the flour mixture, mixing until the batter is smooth. Using a rubber spatula, fold in 1 cup of the walnuts and 6 ounces of the Swiss chocolate chunks.
5. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of walnuts and 3 ounces of chocolate chunks over the top of the batter. Bake the brownies for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center of the brownie comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it.
6. Cool the brownies in the pan set on a wire rack. When the brownies are completely cool, cover the pan of brownies with plastic wrap and let the brownies set at room temperature for at least 6 hours or overnight.
7. Invert the brownies onto a large plate or cutting board. Remove the pan and carefully peel off the foil. Invert again onto a smooth cutting surface and cut into 24 bars. Store the brownies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to five days.
A few notes:
I always use a 15-1/2" x 10-1/2" pan, so I don't do the foil thing, and just recently starting using parchment paper on the bottom, and buttering the sides. Also, if you do this, you can cook it for around 10 minutes less, and cooling time is much shorter as well.
I used to use Hershey's Dark for the 9-ounce dark chocolate chunk part, but a friend recently told me they changed their recipe (??), so I switched to Lindt 70% Cocoa Extra Fine dark chocolate. Worked pretty well.
As for the 14-ounce semisweet chocolate part (the stuff that gets melted), feel free to be creative. This last time, I used 6 ounces of Nestle semisweet chocolate chips, around 6 ounces of this gourmet dark chocolate I buy in bulk from Baker's Catalogue, and around 2-3 ounces of the Lindt dark chocolate. Any quality semisweet or dark chocolate (or combination thereof) will do, as long as it's not milk chocolate!!
Enjoy!