advice please: chewy, gooey or cakey brownie for bottom layer of an ice cream layered dessert?

[toutefrite]

Inspired by something I saw on TV, I want to try making a dessert where the bottom layer is a brownie, topped with vanilla ice cream, cut into fingers, dipped with chocolate and served with caramel sauce. But what kind of brownie would make for the best base, considering it will be frozen? Gooey or chewy? I figured that cakey brownie base might be dry, but wondered if anyone could advise?

[toutefrite]

thanks all. Would the Katharine Hepburn brownie qualify as chewy?

Or, if you don't know that recipe, would a recipe with more or less butter, or more or less melted chocolate give you a chewy brownie in the end?

[sbp]

I haven't tried it yet, but others have favorably reviewed Cooks Illustrated recent recipe for chewy brownie. I think they combined both butter and liquid oil in the batter. The combination of fats with different melting points is what made it chewy.

[Whats_For_Dinner]

Thirded for chewy. The denseness will help it hold up; cakey would get soggy and gooey would be, well, gooey.

[Cherylptw]

+ 2 for chewy...

[sbp]

I've done something similar using an ordinary mixing bowl as a form. Lined with brownie, filled with chocolate marquise/mousse (using Italian meringue, which helps for freezing), then freeze. Chewy is the way to go. Gooey may not have enough structure to hold up as the ice cream melts.

[toutefrite]

great, exactly what I need to know, thank you. how think did you make the brownie layer when you did it?

[sbp]

Simple really. Cooked the brownies in a regular rectangular pan. When they were done, let the cool somewhat, then sliced into large pieces. Sprayed Pam on the mixing bowl I was using for a mold, then just placed the brownie into it in a single layer, covering the entire surface. Squished a bit to fit, used the leftover pieces to patch the gaps. Once it's all in place, you don't even notice the seams. Sometimes I save some brownie to put on top after I fill with mousse - this makes a base.