Fudgy Brownies

What's the first thing you've baked? 
One of the first things that I made when I started baking was brownies.

Chocolate brownies are a classic American dessert. Whether fudgy, chewy, or cakey....the middle part or the edge....dark or milk chocolate.....warm and fresh from the oven or cool to the touch.....almost everyone has a brownie favourite.

The first brownie ever made, like other culinary mishaps (the sandwich, pizza, potato chip) was actually a mistake. The baker didn't have baking powder and ended up with an unleavened fudgy treat. The classic brownie consists of only butter, sugar, chocolate, eggs and flour.

One legend about the creation of brownies is that of Bertha Palmer, a prominent Chicago socialite whose husband owned the Palmer House Hotel. In 1893 Palmer asked a pastry chef for a dessert suitable for ladies attending the Chicago World's Columbian Exposition. She requested a cake-like confection smaller than a piece of cake that could be included in boxed lunches. The result was the Palmer House Brownie with walnuts and an apricot glaze. The modern Palmer House Hotel serves a dessert to patrons made from the same recipe even today. The name was given to the dessert sometime after 1893.

The ingredients are simple and easily available, the method is quick and easy and not at all messy. And above all....it is chocolaty and really really fudgy......and that's the way we like it..
I keep making a couple of batches now and then. It's a family favourite. Miss J made a batch by herself too....under my supervision of course.

So here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
8 oz chocolate ( approx. 225 gms)
1¼ Cup unsalted butter, melted
¼ Cup cocoa powder
1 Tbsp instant coffee powder
2 Cup Sugar
½ Cup Brown Sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
6 eggs
1 Cup flour
½ Cup cocoa powder
1 tsp Baking powder (optional, for a cakier texture)

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Grease a 9X13 baking pan and place a parchment paper.
Chop the chocolate into chunks and place in a heat proof bowl. 
Add in the ¼ cup cocoa powder and instant coffee powder.
Melt the butter and pour into the chocolate and coffee mixture.
Let it sit for 2 minutes and then stir till smooth. Keep aside. 
Sift the flour, ½ Cup cocoa powder and baking powder (if using) and keep aside.
In another bowl, mix the sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and salt.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each, until thoroughly blended. (The batter should be airy like a pancake batter).
Fold in the flour and cocoa mixture, till well combined.
Pour into prepared pan.
Spread the batter in the pan and bake for 20 minutes.
Take out the pan, and tap hard on the kitchen counter till the top cracks. This helps in even cooking. Place it back into the oven and bake for another 25 minutes more.
The brownies are done.
It will be fudgy as when a toothpick inserted in the middle won't come out very clean. As the brownie cools down, it would slightly sink too.

I love the smell and the aromas of freshly baked brownies.
Not just me......Mr. Peter, Miss J & our little man loves it too.
That's probably the reason why a couple of pieces are gobbled up immediately, even before it is cut....the warm gooey fudgy brownies are really yumm.

You can add walnuts if you'd like some crunch.
To make my brownies extra special.....I top it up with some hot chocolate fudge sauce and really cold vanilla ice cream. Hmmmm.....and my version of the dessert - Ebony & Ivory is ready.


Enjoy!!!!