The perfect chewy brownie

[wyf4lyf]

My search for the perfect chewy brownie finally ended today. I've had this recipe for awhile and finally made it. The brownies get that wonderful shiny, crinkly top that my husband says "makes a brownie a brownie" and they are rich and chocolately and CHEWY!

http://splendidtable.publicradio.org/...

[julesrules]

I had some extra egg yolks today and wanted to make brownies. This blogger's version of a CI recipe for chewy brownies calling for extra yolks and oil came up, and I then realized I had only half the butter required for my standard brownies (Fry's cocoa recipe... similar to some posted above). Since I only had cocoa, no chocolate, I made a hybrid recipe using Fry's as a base but with about 4 yolks & 2 whole eggs (instead of 4 eggs), and half melted butter/half oil. And they do have some of the "chewy" properties of box brownies, without the nasty taste. Although I slightly detect the oil, I don't miss the butter flavour, which is a surprise... I've been making the butter ones for almost 30 years.
CI chewy brownies:
http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2010/03/09/chewy-brownies/
Fry's cocoa brownies (after the first 15 years of making these I settled on 27 minutes as the perfect baking time):
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/mem...

[pearlyriver]

At first I thought the second recipe was Stephen Fry's and I'd eat anything he recommends. Thanks for the links. I'm turning into a brownie junkie :)

[pearlyriver]

Thanks everyone for introducing me to the Nick Malgieri's recipe. It's a bit unfair for me to judge it, since I didn't put much sugar into the batter, but the consistency and flavor is the best I've ever made. The brown sugar must be there for a reason. This recipe is definitely a keeper, but next time I'll try Nigel Slater's, since I've always had good results with his recipes.

[sandylc]

Not surprisingly, the divide here seems to be between those who like more sugar and those who like more intense chocolate flavor. Texture choice, I believe, is secondary.

[shygirl]

For me, the search for the perfect chewy brownie ended when I tried the "Brownies Cockaigne" in my mother's old "Joy of Cooking".

[iL Divo]

this recipe is almost exactly what I just made above.
it's twice as much white sugar but the one I used also had 1 cup brown sugar, so same amount, 1/2 as much vanilla, 1/2 as much chocolate, and the chocolate I used was regular dark bittersweet chocolate chips, so that's not unsweetened chocolate, otherwise, same ingredients, no wonder we both like them..............

[shygirl]

I forgot to mention that, the first time I made these, I used French chocolate that was 100% cacao, and never have brownies got more raves than these did. I've subsequently tried other varieties, usually 70 - 85%, only because I've not been able to find the chocolate I originally used (which was very expensive, at any rate). People are always mad for these.

I often reduce the amount of sugar called for in recipes, but the roaring success of the Brownies Cockaigne has convinced me not to mess with it, other than by changing the chocolate used. I once tried baking After Eight mints into it - DISASTER. Don't do it! It took a chisel to get the wreckage out of the pan.

[iL Divo]

"I once tried baking After Eight mints into it"
No worries about that happening.................
blech

[shygirl]

lol Good thing, too! I had just got on a roll and made about three variations to please different audiences, but that last one was nasty. I think the original is the best.

[lilgi]

Divo, those are as similar to Nick's as in the fact that they require flour, sugar, butter and eggs. Cockaigne is a very different brownie, with half the butter, half the chocolate and all white sugar, not to mention the difference in seasoning.

[shygirl]

lilgi, have you eaten both? I take it you prefer Nick's (which I've never had)? My chocoholic friends had no complaints about the chocolate level in the Cockaigne brownies, but you've got me wondering.

[lilgi]

No, I don't prefer a Nick's over these and I favor a completely different recipe with just a bit of brown sugar by comparison.

Cockaigne is a very popular brownie though, even among purists. I've enjoyed these as well as Robert's, the one Biondanonima recommends.

[shygirl]

Thanks for letting me know. I haven't made many different brownie recipes, as they always seemed to specify "fudgy" or "cakey" and I wanted neither of those. When I found the chewy one, I stopped looking, but am now going to try a couple of the ones mentioned above. And I'm sure brown sugar would enhance the flavour; I use it - mostly Demerara - in most of my sweet baking.

[sandylc]

Did a quick comparison of the 3 recipes in question. The Malgieri recipe does have quite a lot more sugar and less chocolate, especially when considering it uses bittersweet chocolate rather than the unsweetened used in the Baker's and CI recipes.

[HillJ]

http://cheeseandchoco.blogspot.com/20...
we made these today for the superbowl posse and they are really chewy and rich.

[iL Divo]

I bet these are wonderful.
what a lousy time to be on WW....

[HillJ]

;*( smelling them alone WOULD be a tease of the worst kind.

[biondanonima]

Holy crap those sound amazing!

[HillJ]

They are! Hope you give them a try!

[biondanonima]

I added them to my Pepperplate account and they will be at the top of my list the next time I make brownies, for SURE!!!

[HillJ]

Wanna take them over the top? Once baked and cooled split them in half like an ice cream sandwich style and fill with coffee ice cream. OMG!

[iL Divo]

stop it! I just put on 4 lbs ;:+(
*)

[magiesmom]

OMG indeed!

[HillJ]

Come on ladies!!! It's superbowl Sunday!

[iL Divo]

I know.
WoooooooooooooHooooooooooooo!

[magiesmom]

There is nothing on earth less interesting to me than football! but a good brownie ice cream sandwich is something to live for.

[JABHR]

YUCK! Do not mean to be rude, but these are horrible. All butter and sugar with little chocolate. Once done, they don't even taste like chocolate brownies.

[lilgi]

Excellent description.

[biondanonima]

I wouldn't go so far as to say "horrible," but I do agree that they're short on chocolate flavor. They are very chewy, but to me they taste mostly of brown sugar. Not awful, but not really what I'm looking for in a brownie. I've served them to others who really love them, though.

[iL Divo]

biondanonima

I don't know. I probably have not made a brownie or met a brownie that I didn't like.

Some better than others of course but something deeply bathed in the essence of chocolate wonderment can only be superb........I'd probably try this recipe just for the enjoyment of seeing my reaction.

and tonight just became the time........

it's 7:17 pm here in California and since I have all the ingredients and since we're going to a superbowl party tomorrow and since I offered to bring things to munch on, it's baking time!!

I just put this recipe in the oven and we'll see, if they're good or bad, they're going to a party tomorrow. I'll post how they turn out cause there's no calories in a tiny bite sized piece right?

[biondanonima]

Divo, if you want something deeply bathed in the essense of chocolate, choose a different brownie recipe! These aren't very chocolaty at all. I recently made a David Lebovitz recipe (Robert's Absolute Best Brownies) that were very chocolaty and fudgy, and I am planning to try the Medrich Cocoa Brownies and the Ad Hoc At Home brownies soon, both of which have a much higher proportion of chocolate than the Supernaturals.

[magiesmom]

I love the Lebovitz recipe, to me the perfect brownie, with one caveat: if using unsalted butter, a little salt is necessary for perfection.

[biondanonima]

Yes, I adored the Lebovitz recipe - so delicious and SO easy. And I agree about the salt!

[magiesmom]

It is so simple and delicious. But you do have to do the one minute of intense mixing.

[biondanonima]

Magiesmom, just FYI, I made the Ad Hoc At Home brownies tonight and they are insane - rich, fudgy, chocolaty, just incredible. They also come out looking beautiful, with a shiny, thin, crackly top. My only complaint is that they're almost TOO buttery. I think I prefer Robert's Best by a small margin, but my husband thinks the Ad Hoc ones are the best he's ever had. Definitely worth trying!

[lilgi]

They're more of a blondie, and for those who don't like chocolate. Both my sons turned their nose up, not to mention moi.

[biondanonima]

I agree, the texture was very blondie-like, and the chocolate flavor was mild enough that if I didn't know I was eating a brownie I might not have guessed. I'm not a fan of really sweet sweets, and I like my chocolate as intense as possible, so these just didn't do it for me. My husband's daughters (both of whom really like SWEET things) loved these - but really, they love just about any brownie.

[magiesmom]

I love a blondie when I want a blondie, but a brownie is a different beast/

[iL Divo]

.......well they're 14 minutes into the baking time and they look nothing like a blondie.
very dark, I mean, very dark. I used because it's what I had {Hersheys Dark Chips]
we'll see when they're done but it smells like heaven in here.

[lilgi]

I was referring to the flavor; the color shouldn't be that dark either when you compare amongst other brownies.

[iL Divo]

oh ok thanks. I love the flavor of a blondie too.
the color is dark but then that's when they were in the bowl being stirred.
may be lighter in 15 minutes when I take 'em out, we'll see.
and I'll report.............heck I'm in the kitchen typing away here while hubby is talking to the kids' wife on the telli............
I got nothin better to do anyway.......but smell this incredible air via the convection oven.............yumm

[lilgi]

enjoy!

[biondanonima]

They definitely don't look like blondies - I would actually say that they were some of the most attractive brownies I've ever made. Just not the tastiest, not by a long shot! I hope you enjoy them, though - I know a lot of people do!

[lilgi]

You are a sweetheart, you get an A for diplomacy - cause that is one polarizing brownie :)

[iL Divo]

"cause that is one polarizing brownie :)"
now you've really got my attention.
I just took 'em out 6 minutes short of the timing called for.
turned off the convection and put them back in cause a skewer was a bit moist.
again,we'll see

[iL Divo]

call me a total fool but I love love love this brownie.
I do see where if eyes closed it could have a lesser flavor of chocolate but maybe using the dark/bittersweet Hershey's did the trick for me because the taste of chocolate is definitely not missing.

Just my opinion

[lilgi]

Great! There is no "Best" or "Perfect", especially where brownies are concerned.

[iL Divo]

if I wasn't trying so hard to drop a pound or two, I'd be making these.
but with my husband disliking brownies, all brownies, in general, they'd
be here with my name on them and the kid's not home for a week.
so, for now, and until later, they shall have to wait and so will I :(

[bayoucook]

Just what I've been looking for!

[jifo]

does somebody can telle me what is the exact weight of a cup ?

[housewolf]

It depends on a cup of _what_ and how you fill the measuring cup. A cup of water or milk is 8 oz. A cup of flour weighs anywhere between 4 - 5 ounces. A cup of nuts or grated cheese is about 4 oz. A cup of big marshmallows weighs differently from a cup of small ones because there is more air space in the cup of big marshmallows. What is it specifically that you are interested in weighing?

The best answer to you question is to get a kitchen scale and actually measure things yourself because, for many ingredients, the results vary according to factors such as humidity or the amount of moisture in a given ingredient. For instance, a cup of freshly-baked bread cubes would weigh more than a cup of older, more dried-out bread.

[choctastic]

I made a half batch using only bittersweet chocolate (lindt excellence, 70%) , no semisweet, and they were fabulous, rich tasting and chewy. I don't usually make brownies because they're expensive to make but these were worth it.

thx for the tip!

--just an update, I couldn't stop eating them and ended up having 8 brownies in an hour. I feel sick but also very satisfied.

[wyf4lyf]

I agree...bake at the higher temp and use either a darker chocolate or cocoa. How long did you cook them for? There's been some debate about 35 or 45 minutes. I used a foil-lined pyrex pan at the regular temp for 45 minutes and they were perfect.

[marcia2]

I made these the other day. Hmmm. They need tweaking.

I used Ghirardelli semisweet chocolate. I baked them in a 13x9 pyrex. I didn't care about turning them out of the pan, as they were just for eating at home, so I skipped the foil/parchment bit and just used some bakers joy in the pan. I cut them in the pan and they came out fine, no sticking.

The minor problems. I dropped the temp 25 deg, as I always do for baking in pyrex and baked for the time called for in the recipe. They weren't chewy, which is what I really wanted. Too soft. Maybe I undercooked them or should try it at the higher temp?

They were too sweet. I'm always scared to start cutting sugar out of a baking recipe for fear that I'll screw up something else. Maybe a darker, higher cacoa content chocolate next time? Or can I cut some of the white sugar without ruining it?

I would have liked a cocoa-ier flavor. Perhaps what I need to do is go find a fudgey recipe that calls for cocoa powder and substitute some brown sugar for white?

[JasmineG]

I think you need to change the chocolate instead of the sugar content -- I used Ghiradelli bittersweet chocolate, and they were perfect. Also, I think you should definitely try at a higher temp, because mine were nicely chewy, which is just what I was looking for.

Though, I think your idea of using cocoa instead of chocolate is a good one -- just try converting this recipe to one that uses cocoa, there's a conversion on this page: http://www.joyofbaking.com/cocoa.html

[JasmineG]

Made these today: I cut the recipe in half and made them in an 8x8 pan, and they turned out fantastic! They baked for about 35 minutes, and were just right.

[alexia]

i baked mine in a glass pan lined with parchment and i took them out at about 53 minutes. the edges weren't crispy and the centers were perfectly fudgey. i didn't know you were supposed to lower the temp for a glass pan...

maybe my oven runs a little cool?

[iL Divo]

you know alexia, it's, for me anyway, the lack of lowering my oven temp or over baking.
if I'd just pay attention more I'd get the perfect chewy gooeyness of a perfect in my opinion, but I get carried away and forget to check the gem in the oven :(

[marcia2]

I've been looking for years for the perfect chewy brownie and have occasionally wondered if brown sugar would help, since blondies tend to have more of the texture I'm looking for. I'm excited to try these. One question: My 13x9 pan is glass. Should I, as usual, lower the temp 25 degrees, or does the foil lining eliminate the need to do that?

[wyf4lyf]

You know, I'm ashamed to say that I totally forgot about the usual thing of lowering the temp 25 degrees for a glass pan. I just lined with the nonstick foil and followed the recipe and I loved how they came out at 45 minutes. I like having some crispy edges to crunch.

[seattledebs]

This is very similar to my favorite brownie recipe, the one from Baking With Julia, except that the BWJ recipe calls for more chocolate and only uses white sugar. I think I'd like to try the BWJ recipe with brown sugar.

The BWJ proportions are:

1 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
8 ounces unsalted butter
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs

I also have added frozen raspberries, which were delicious.

As a side note, for those who keep kosher for passover: I've made this recipe during Passover using matzah meal and kosher for passover chocolate and it was amazing.

[iL Divo]

I'd wanna try this with half brown and half white sugar just because I'm a Maverick :)

what am I missing here besides the directions?
HELP please :)))

[alexia]

Being the minority seems perfectly OK to me - more brownies for me!!!!

[alexia]

i made nick malgieri's supernatural brownies over the weekend - and boy, were they delicious! exactly what i was looking for. chewy, dense and a super-chocolately flavor. i used 4 oz. ghirardelli 70% extra bittersweet and semisweet bars. i've been making many brownie recipes trying to find one that wasn't goopy in the middle or too cakey or not chocolately enough and this was it!

[wyf4lyf]

I think we are of similar minds, though in the minority of brownie lovers, it would seem! :)

[chowser]

Not the minority.:-) Brownies are one of those things where there are so many variations and as many different opinions as there are variations. This supernatural recipe was a hit when I brought it over to my in-laws. When you get right down to it, brownies, cakey, fudgey, chewy, whatever, are always a hit.

[angelsmom]

I have read every post in this thread twice, but cannot figure out which are the chewy brownies. Please enlighten me!

[biondanonima]

The original poster was referring to the recipe linked in his/her post, the "Supernatural" brownies by Nick Malgieri.

[angelsmom]

I realized that, but chowser mentioned several other recipes, so I did not know which won thw chewiest.

[biondanonima]

Oh sorry, I misunderstood your post. I don't know if there was a consensus as to which recipe was chewiest among those mentioned, but the Supernaturals are very, very chewy - by far the chewiest brownie I've ever made. Not very chocolaty, though.

[chowser]

Sorry it wasn't clear. It's been a few years so I had to remember what I meant, even. All I meant, there are different types of brownies and they're always a hit/ As chewy goes, the NM's are probably the chewiest but not the dense chocolate I prefer. For that, I like Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc brownies, although I find the Mancatcher brownies most decadent.

[julesrules]

Has anyone tried this recipe? They make an interesting argument that cocoa is better for chewy brownies. I must say that I love my cocoa brownie recipe, for ease and texture, and I don't find them to be at all cakey, or terribly fudgy. But I haven't tried this particular recipe nor am I one of the chewy brownie obsessives on this board...

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/rec...

[chowser]

I'll give it a try. I was going to bake a bread today anyway and will add this on at the end.

[chowser]

I just made these w/ dutch process cocoa. They're cocoa-y but not that fudgy. They're more cakey than chewy so I wouldn't recommend them for anyone who likes chewy brownies. The batter was beautiful--probably the glossiest, shiniest, dark brown batter I've seen. They have a darker chocolate flavor and are almost black from the dutch process cocoa. I want to try the fudge brownie recipe on the back of the King Arthur's all purpose flour that uses cocoa. Has anyone used it?

[julesrules]

Thanks for the report!

[alicat]

julesrules, that is my standard brownie recipe, and I love them, but I find they come out very dense, moist and fudgy for me, not chewy or cakey at all. That's how I like mine, and I don't mind underdone either, but if you're looking for chewy brownies I'd try another recipe.

[iL Divo]

thanks Chowser, I am a chewy brownie lover

[ChowFun_derek]

The OP mentioned the perfect "Chewy" brownies in the headline..this does NOT mean fudgey or cakey...so the subject refers to Chewy!!!
It's great that you all have a favorite recipe for brownies....But (Big BUT!) are these Chewy???
I hope so, for I am always on the lookout for Chewy! Do tell!

[chowser]

Yes. Very chewy--like blondies made with brown sugar chewy.:-)

[chowser]

This is a good distinction--I couldn't describe it but this recipe is more chewy than fudgy while the Baker's is more fudgy than chewy (and why can't I spell "fudgey" right? Both look wrong to me).

[wyf4lyf]

YES....these are chewy!! I know most people swoon over "fudgey" brownies, but to me, those are too gloppy and wet. I like my brownies to be cooked through, chocolatey, but not cakey. This was the first from-scratch recipe that had the texture I was looking for. Give them a try and see what you think.

[jfood]

If you want a great brownie with half the trouble buy a box of Ghirardelli double chocolate brownies at Costco. Make up a batch, serve and watch everyone rave about it. DW made tons of batches witht he kids, starting at 5-years old, and the results made them mini-CH at an early age. "Oh boy mommy, i made these? let's try something else."

[Uncle Ira]

I have to say, I've always thought that Ghiradelli chocolate was terribly over-rated, but this is a great brownie mix. I first tasted it from a caterer I was working with and he always gets raves for it. It's the only Ghiradelli product I'd use.

Uncle Ira

[laylag]

You're right Uncle Ira. Chocoalates can be overrated but the brownie mix is excellent. I've used the Ghiradelli triple chocolate from Costco and you're right, they come out great and everyone loves them but I also would love a really good from scratch brownie recipe so will give these a try.

Still though, the bar chocolates being less than overwhelming, I will say that the Ghirardelli chocolate chips - milk, white and semisweet in the baking section are superior to the other brands out there.

[julesrules]

The white chips have no cocoa butter. Bah humbug!

[wawajb]

No cocoa butter? Then what in the world are they made out of? I thought white chocolate pretty much was just cocoa butter with something to make it solid. And sugar of course.

[julesrules]

Milk and sugar mostly. They are cleverly not called chocolate. although the word chocolate appears as part of the Ghirardelli logo. I agree their bittersweet chips are pretty good so I was disappointed in this product to say the least. They also burned quite easily when baked, and did not melt well.

http://www.ghirardelli.com/products/c...

[laylag]

Wow, I had no idea about the white chips. I did notice they didn't melt well but I was using them in rugelach and didn't mind. They taste really good when you just eat them, less heavy, so maybe that's what I liked. Try the milk chocolat chips. I tasted them side by side with others and thought them much better.

[ffranny]

Don't know if anyone has looked at this in the past four years, but just in case:

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_ch...>

The Ghirardelli site julesrules cites says its white chocolate chips *start* with milk and sugar. They also contain cocoa butter -- but what makes them Not Chocolate is that there are no cocoa solids in them. Hence their pale color and lack of chocolate flavor.

[julesrules]

Your link is not working for me. But why do you believe the Ghirardelli white chips have cocoa butter in them?
I don't expect white chocolate to have cocoa solids. I do expect it to have cocoa butter. That's what makes it "chocolate", albeit "white chocolate", vs. white chips, white confection, etc. I haven't bought the Ghirardelli product for years obviously, but those chips did not contain cocoa butter when I did.

[ffranny]

julesrules: Sorry about the link. Here's what Wikipedia says about white chocolate in general:

"White chocolate is a confectionery derivative of chocolate. It commonly consists of cocoa butter, sugar, milk solids and salt, and is characterized by a pale yellow or ivory appearance. The melting point of cocoa butter, its primary cacao bean component, is high enough to keep white chocolate solid at room temperature, yet low enough to allow white chocolate to melt in the mouth."

And while the Ghirardelli site itself doesn't appear to list the full ingredients of its white chocolate chips, the Wegmans supermarket site (which I think is pretty reliable) does (In fact, I suspect this text is taken directly from the back of the package -- pretty easy to check the next time you go grocery shopping):

"The Ghirardelli Baking Chocolate line continues the chocolate tradition established by Ghirardelli's legendary chocolate confections. We blend pure ingredients like real cocoa butter and vanilla, to create Ghirardelli's rich signature taste in these distinctive baking chips. With Ghirardelli Classic White Baking Chips, your desserts will redefine chocolate indulgence.

Ingredients
Sugar, Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (Palm Kernel, Coconut, Palm Oil), Whole Milk Powder, Nonfat Milk Powder, Whey, Cream Powder, Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin (an Emulsifier), Vanilla. May contain trace amounts of peanuts, nuts and flour gluten."

You're correct that Ghirardelli calls these "white chips" and not "white chocolate chips." But I think you're misinformed about the reason. The distinction is not between products that do or do not include cocoa butter, but between those that do or do not include cocoa solids. Even though many people call the cocoa butter/sugar confection "white chocolate," manufacturers are not legally allowed to call it "chocolate" at all. It's similar to the regulations regarding what amount of butterfat and/or other ingredients are required to call a product butter vs. margarine vs. spread, or cheese vs. cheese food vs. cheese product.

Here's another link with some good info about how the FDA defines various types of chocolate:
<http://www.facts-about-chocolate.com/...>
(In case that one doesn't work, the site is facts-about-chocolate.com)

[julesrules]

Thanks for the info. But the white chocolate I prefer to eat has cocoa butter way up in the ingredient list, second only to sugar, certainly not after "whey" and "cream powder". It's nice they've added some to their product though. I'm not that concerned with FDA labelling, since I live in Canada and eat mostly European chocolate. However, I can concede that FDA rules would be the most relevant for Ghirardelli labelling. Here in Canada, I notice that even "brown" "chocolate" that contains cocoa solids but not (a lot of) cocoa butter (like those nasty "truffles" sold at Costco and other places) are not labelled "chocolate" - and thank god for that. Some info about the Canadian and European chocolate definitions here, including standards for "white chocolate": http://www.lindt.com/ca/swf/eng/conno...

[Jestner]

I would recommend you try Tropical Source chocolate chips. You can find them at Whole Foods, Wild Oats, etc. I find them to be very good

[Smokey]

that's funny. I think their chocolate is overrated and their box brownie mix is overrated. I know lots of folks who love the ghiradelli mix, but making them from scratch is only about 20% extra effort, and so many times better!

[julesrules]

I'm not impressed with the recipe on the side of their ground chocolate / cocoa product either! I could tell from the colour of the batter that they weren't chocolatey enough and it only went downhill from there.

[JRL]

Haven't tried the mix, but my favorite brownie recipe - it's one of only two things I bake- is on the back of the Ghirardelli Ground Chocolate canister. I omit the nuts.

[pamd]

Well, I tried them finally, and while I used the same chocolate as you I did not feel the same with the results. I did like the consistency very much, but the flavor wasn't there for me. I still prefer my usual recipe instead for taste.

[valerie]

I wasn't crazy about these either. What is you usual recipe?

[pamd]

so far, my favorite brownie recipe is the one on the back of the Bakers unsweetened chocolate box! and they are extra yummy if you melt Andes candies on top for mint brownies. just be careful not to overbake or consistency is not right (as with many brownie recipes)

[chowser]

The Baker's one bowl brownie mix--it's one of my favorites, too. I liked it better than this one, also. This Target one kind of reminded me of box mixes with the extra fudginess. I think it comes down to your preference with brownies--fudgy, cakey or in between. I just made Cooks Illustrated (Best Recipe) cream cheese brownies and they were really good. I used to love cream cheese brownies but now I'm finding I prefer plain brownies. I like the Baker's brownies better than the C.I. regular brownie recipe from their magazine.

[valerie]

I have been on a quest for a favorite brownie recipe and it never occurred to me to make the Bakers one mostly because I was looking for -- well actually, I don't really know what I was looking for! I've tried several different versions out there (Katherine Hepburn, Barefoot Contessa, Supernatural Brownies plus a few others) and now I will try these. I'm looking forward to them...

[chowser]

I've tried a lot of recipes, too. I've used almond extract in the Baker's and liked it. I have a recipe for a really good bittersweet brownie. It's more of an adult taste, though kids love them, too. If you're interested, I can post it. Which has been your favorite? I'm always up for trying new brownies recipes. The CI claims it's neither fudgy or cakey but the "perfectly" in between--I think it comes down to a preference of type not that one's better than the other. It's made with a mix of all purpose and cake flour.

[AmandaEd]

Pamd and chowser, thank you SO MUCH for the recommendation! I tried the Baker recipe, and the reviews are raves. My BF even rated it better than his ma's recipe, which was his lifelong fave, AND it was a cinch to make.

Thank you!

[pamd]

glad you liked. If you like mint then definitely try the mint version. Make the recipe, then place the unwrapped Andes candies all over the top when you take them out of the oven. After a minute spread the chocolates around and let cool. They are a great twist.

[AmandaEd]

Will do! :)

[chowser]

I made them last minute one day, because I didn't have much time and wasn't expecting much from them. I was surprised at how good they were, given how easy it was to make.

[AmandaEd]

I know what you mean! Magic made with 4 crazy squares of ho-hum chocolate!

I brought the batch to work today for a colleague's birthday to raves there, too.

[wyf4lyf]

No butter...the foil is coated on one side to be nonstick. It works perfectly.

[wyf4lyf]

I used the new "release" foil that has a nonstick side and it worked perfectly.

[pamd]

so you used the "release" foil in the glass pan? I've never used foil in glass. did you use any butter as it states or not?

[Val]

I used a metal pan and I greased it, lined it with aluminum foil and greased the aluminum foil, as directed.

[chef chicklet]

Did you by chance use a glass pan?
I will make these tomorrow, I'm a true lover of good brownies.
Diet?

[pamd]

recipe says bittersweet or semi-sweet, which did you use?

[Val]

heh, heh...how's this for using up what I had on hand? Had 3 ounces of unsweetened Ghiardelli squares and approximately 1/2 of a 12 ounce bag of semi-sweet morsels....and I didn't change any of the sugar measurements in recipe...these are truly outstanding! Sons totally loving them, too!

[wyf4lyf]

I used 4 oz. Ghirardelli 60% Bittersweet and 4 oz. Ghirardelli Semi-sweet. Perfection. :)

[Val]

Wyf4lyf...I made these tonight, my house has such a delicious aroma of chocolate...they are VERY delicious! Thanks! I may have underbaked them because this electric oven runs hot...but they are so DENSE & sinful! I pulled them out at around 35 minutes, when I notice the sides pulling away from the pan. Can't wait for sons to try them out after the Philly game!

[wyf4lyf]

We are eating the last of the few I kept for our family. Most of the batch went to a bake auction at our church today to raise money for the youth group. The plate of brownies went for $20!
Glad you're enjoying them. (Congrats Eagles, too!)

[roxhills]

I got this recipe from a Nick Malgieri baking class I took at Sur la Table years ago. The recipe was for the half sheet pan double recipe which he says to bake for an hour, but in my notes I wrote that he says that if you are making it in a 9x13 pan, it should bake for only about 35 minutes.

[wyf4lyf]

I used a glass 13x9 pan and 45 minutes was perfect. The edges had a bit of crunch and the borwnies were perfectly chewy. I know I'm strange, but I really don't like underdone, goopy brownies. :)

[wyf4lyf]

Yup...they're called "Supernatural Brownies" for a reason!!! :)

[Non Cognomina]

This is Nick Malgieri's recipe. I think it's the brown sugar that makes it a great chewy brownie. Thanks for posting!