BROWNIES, BROWNIES AND MORE BROWNIES!


I have been collecting recipes since I was about 17 years old.

I used to go to used bookstores and pore though the old Gourmet magazines. When I was a babysitter, I browsed through the parents’ cookbooks (once the kids were safely asleep). I read recipes everywhere I go.

I especially love to collect brownie recipes. I have always been fascinated by how many variations there are on such a simple little dessert.

I even have a chart that I made from 31 different brownie recipes – to get a visual lay-out of the ratio of butter to sugar to flour to chocolate, and so forth.

This chart is a great help when I want to make a batch of brownies. I try to stock every kind of chocolate but invariably, I run out.  All I have to do is turn to my chart and see which recipe matches the ingredients I have on hand.

Here is a recipe I made recently which has a different twist – the addition of cinnamon. These are rich! Chocolate lovers will devour them. Non-chocolate lovers may find them a bit much!

Cinnamon-Chocolate Brownies with Chocolate Ganache

(with credit to Bon Appetit – 2001)

Brownies

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, diced, room temperature

4 large eggs

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup chopped walnuts

Ganache

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

2 tablespoons whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350°F.

For Brownies:

Generously butter 8x8x2-inch baking pan, dust with flour.

Mix first 3 ingredients in small bowl and set aside.

Heat chocolate and butter in saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth.  Set aside.

Beat eggs and sugar in large bowl until mixture thickens and falls in soft ribbon when beaters are lifted, about 5 minutes. Beat in vanilla.

Stir in flour mixture in 2 additions, blending well after each. Gradually add warm chocolate to egg mixture, beating until just combined. Stir in walnuts.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake brownies until top is set and tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 35 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack.

For Ganache:

Whisk all ingredients in small saucepan over medium-low heat until melted and smooth. Pour evenly over brownies in pan.

Chill brownies until ganache is set ( about 2 hours). Cut into 16 squares.