At first glance it might seem that I am just a happy, normal girl who loves to bake and walk her dog. However, I have suffered with an eating disorder since I was 13. It was only in May 2014 when I realised that this Voice in my head was slowly but surely trying to kill me. And so began the long, hard, and painful journey which is recovery...

I want My Cocoa Stained Apron to be a special place...a place for reflection, memories, shared stories...and of course a little bit of cocoa-staining ;) Recovery might be the hardest thing you ever choose to do in this life. But it is also the bravest and best decision you will ever make.:)

Tuesday 26 August 2014

More brownies, more goo, more chocolate. ;)

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Yes, indeed. When Ganache-Elf decides to make brownies, there will inevitably be a large quantity of both chocolate and gooiness involved. Now I felt a little mean the last time I put up a post about brownies as there was no recipe featured...the reason being of course that the chocolate chunk brownies are not my own recipe! But these ones are, though, so I just HAD to share :) I like to call them fudgy double chocolate brownies, as they are exceedingly fudgy and contain both milk and white choc chips...and there is melted dark choc in the mixture, of course. Just remember the golden rules of brownie making...1.)be very, very careful not to overbake; and 2.) do let your brownies cool before cutting and removing from tin; to try and keep your brownies as neat and as even-shaped as their gooiness will permit; and 3.)do not let any of that lovely chocolate mixture go to waste under any circumstances...don't forget to clean that mixing bowl. ;)
Ingredients 
  • 150 g plain chocolate
  • 125 g butter, softened
  • 300 g caster sugar (preferably golden...but white is ok too though:) )
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 75 g plain flour
  • 2 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 75 g white chocolate, roughly chopped
  • 50 g milk chocolate, roughly chopped
Method...
  • Preheat oven to 180c/fan 160c. Grease and base line a deep 20 cm square cake tin. Put a pan of water on the hob to boil. 
  • Beat the butter in a big bowl until very soft, then tip in the sugar and continue to beat until light and fluffy. Use a wooden spoon or an electric mixer for this. :)
  • Mix the vanilla with the beaten eggs in a jug. Put the 150 g plain choc in a heatproof bowl and set it over the water on the hob once it's simmering away. Allow it to melt, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Once melted remove it from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
  • Add a little of the egg mixture to the butter and sugar. Mix well, scraping down the sides of the bowl every so often with a spatula or a metal spoon so everything gets mixed nicely together. Add another small quantity of the beaten eggs, mix well once more, and then repeat  until all the egg has been used up. Scrape off all batter from your wooden spoon/mixer and then use a large metal spoon to fold in the melted plain choc. Sieve over the cocoa powder and the flour and fold in along with the chopped chocolate. 
  • Transfer to the prepared tin and bake for 20-25 minutes. A sugary crust should have formed on top of the brownies, but they should still be fudgy in the centre. Keep a very good eye on them towards the end of their cooking time...don't put the fudginess of your brownies at risk. :o
  • Leave to cool in the tin before marking into 16 squares...though of course, if a substantial amount of nibbling has been involved on the part of the baker...perhaps it would be best to mark out 15, 14, 12...? ;) dust with cocoa powder if you like for a pretty little finishing touch..oh, and if any little bits fall of the squares, you can either a.) attach them back to the square as they will become harder and firmer the longer you leave them, or b.) collect these little "stray pieces", squidge them into a ball, and "sample" your brownies for yourself. And hey don't feel guilty!! It's good practice for a baker to check that their produce is up to standards before serving to anyone else, right? ;) 
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