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Hello Kennieko I tried the Le Gourmand brownie and yes you are right, it is rich and moist but it is BEGGING for nuts. The noodie cookie also was quite amazing but very expensive for a single bite. Thanks for the suggestions.
The search goes on. Next, I'll try the Sheraton.›1 Reply-
re: Portail
Pastryrocks
Jun 11, 2008 10:07 PM
The nookie cookie is expensive due to the very, very high food cost.
Everyone who works in a kitchen either loves nuts or is nuts, and in my case both! But good fresh walnuts are not cheap. The cheapest way to purchase nuts is in volume. The best way to keep walnuts for any length of time is to lightly toast them. Also, people are sensitive to nuts (both kind, the one’s who work in the kitchen and the ones which are used in the kitchen). So those who use nuts don’t use a great deal of nuts mainly due to food cost.
On the subject of food cost most if not all of the chain restaurants will have brownies that are made with cocoa powder and maybe, just maybe some cheap poor (Bakers chocolate anyone?) chocolate in the icing. And very little butter if any at all. I always just use ganache (chocolate, 35% cream & a little butter) for icing.
Also, I believe that this crop or the next crop of walnuts out of California will be pasteurized. Which I also understand will mean that they will not have all those almost magical attributes. I’m also wondering what this will do to the taste.
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It's been a while since I ate one, but the brownies at 'Brick Street Bakery' in the Distillery District were sublime. It's an organic bakery, so the ingredients were top notch. The brownies were moist and thick, and had a brain-meltingly intense chocolate favour. Come to think of it, my brain must have actually melted because I can't remember if they use walnuts. I think so, but ... ?
If you want to try something insanely fabulous that is better (!) than a brownie, try the flourless chocolate cake at Soma Chocolate. Soma is also located in the Distillery District, by the by. It comes in two sizes - "Baby Cakes" (4 dollars) and "Mama Cakes" (ten dollars and must be ordered in advance), and it's fair to say there's no going back after you've tried it. All the ingredients are organic, and they use huge chunks of crisp walnuts. Divine.
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Trader's in the Sheraton has what you describe:
http://starwood.webcanada.com/sct/ass...
I can't vouch for it.
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sugarcube
May 7, 2008 05:50 PM
You could always try getting a brownie from Whole Foods (they have several kinds: german chocolate, original, cream cheese, etc), a bunch of almonds/walnuts, then walk down bloor and get a scoop (or two) of Greg's Roasted Marshmallow ice cream with hot fudge on top... and voila(!) your own delightful brownie sundae
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You have to try the brownie from Le Gourmand. They have one right at the concourse level of Bloor subway station. (North side exit then take the door on the left side and walk towards the food court). Their brownie doesn't have nuts but it has rich flavour of cocoa and fine chocolate. Try their noodie cookie, which is like a mini flourless chocolate cake. I can't remember the name, but another of their chocolate cake has more nuts and it's rich yet not too sweet.
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re: kennieko
I second this suggestion. Get a chocolate something (anything will do, they're all good) from Le Gourmand. Then go to Solferino for a scoop of their Belgian chocolate gelato (my fave is Belgian chocolate orange). They also have vanilla. Then sit down for a lovely treat. The folks are Solferino are so nice, they'll probably let you have your cake and ice cream right there.
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re: Portail
I agree that the Ultimate Brownie at Pusateri’s is fantastic. One of the few things I’d advocate buying there.
I must say though, if you’re looking for a great brownie experience, complete with warm chocolate and ice cream I’d say go to, believe it or not, Moxies, for their white chocolate brownie. It’s one of the best brownies I’ve tasted anywhere. No nuts sorry to say, but plenty of gooey semisweet chocolate chunks within. Ice cream and whipped cream and a really nice (not too sweet) chocolate drizzle for garnish. Heavenly.
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re: magic
Hi Magic, I didn't see your reply. Yes Moxies sounds like a good possibility: http://www.moxies.ca/index2.htm
white chocolate brownie: the ultimate dessert encounter! white and dark chocolate folded into a white chocolate brownie, finished with french vanilla ice cream, real whipped cream, and warm chocolate sauce. (Note from me...they say REAL whipped cream...not gelatin-milk-froth like at C'est what).
I'll try Baton Rouge and Moxies as soon as I can.-
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re: akyra
Actually akyra, it has very little of a white chocolate taste to it. I don’t care for white chocolate myself as well, I find it far too sweet. Moxie’s white chocolate brownie is not like that. Not at all. When my friend started raving about it I was skeptical for that very reason - white chocolate?! But there is plenty of nice semisweet chocolate in there. It looks and tastes like a cross between a fresh chocolate chip cookie and a brownie. Served beautifully warm. Hard to describe. But if there is white chocolate in there, and there must be, it’s pretty hard to indentify. Moxie’s seems to have up their game a bit. The few in Toronto that have been here for years and years were, and still are, godawful. But I’ve been to a couple of those newer ones and they were surprisingly pretty good.
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SherylKirby
Apr 16, 2008 12:17 PM
I don't remember if the Hazelnut Brownie Sundae at C'est What actually has nuts in the brownie, but it meets your other requirements and is darned good.
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re: SherylKirby
Ah ha. This is a good start. I found their menu http://www.cestwhat.com/foodmenu.asp
and the description of their brownie:
Hazelnut Brownie Sundae A warm homemade chocolate brownie topped with vanilla ice cream, rich chocolate sauce, and whipped cream. Too sublime not to share with a good friend. • $6.95
I'll go down to the St.Lawrence Market and get nuts to take with me.
Many thanks !-
re: Portail
I went to C’est What today for the Hazelnut Brownie Sundae.
The chocolate brownie was somewhat tasteless and didn’t have any visible hazelnuts.
The vanilla ice cream was terrible with a terrible after-taste and a slimy texture. The poorest quality of ice-cream I have ever had.
The whipped cream tasted and felt like some kind of milk-gelatine froth.
The only good thing was the size of the serving. Two brownies, a big scoop of “ice-cream” and at least 1 cup of milk froth.
On a scale of 0 to 5, I would give it a 2.-
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re: Portail
Really? I thought your initial post was iso of a chowish brownie sundae of sorts but that your Pusateri's post was giving high marks to the brownie, even if it couldn't satisfy your full craving. I've been trying to think of a spot that serves a great brownie sundae but so far, the best I can come up with is directing you to Hollywood Gelato for the ice cream (or maybe a tub of Haagen Dasz even), to [insert top purveyor's name here] for chocolate sauce and then go home with your 4/5 Pusateri's brownie to assemble the concoction yourself!
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re: peppermint pate
Yes, you are right. I could do it myself, but I don't want to have the left-over ingredients in my frig.
A BIG dark rich moist brownie, full of nuts, with a BIG scoop of good quality ice cream and a wonderful hot chocolate sauce and loads of nuts on top. How can that be so difficult ! Surely SOMEPLACE in Toronto offers that. If I want it, surely there are others !-
re: Portail
TorontoJo
May 5, 2008 02:54 PM
Have you checked out some of the chain restaurants? Honestly, this is one of those desserts that is most likely to pop up on a menu at Milestone's or Baton Rouge or the Keg. You could give a few of them a call if you don't want to make visits to all of them in person. Unfortunately, most of the web site menus don't seem to include desserts.
Also, maybe try Montana's or Alice Fazooli's.
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re: Bex714
I have just had the best brownie yet at Baton Rouge (Toronto Eatons Centre).
The brownie was big (3” square) chocolaty and moist.
It was full of baked-in walnuts with more chopped walnuts on top.
It was warm and fresh as if it had just come out of the oven (it didn’t…it came out of the microwave…no matter).
It had a nice big scoop of delicious good-quality vanilla ice-cream on top.
I asked for chocolate sauce instead of the kahlua. My only disappointment was that the chocolate sauce was only a token decorative drizzle.
Price: $7.00
It was wonderful, but I would give it a rating of only 4 out of 5 because of the stingy chocolate sauce.
Many thanks for the suggestion…I’ll keep looking for other options with nuts and a generous serving of chocolate sauce.
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