"The Best" Brownies

I like this recipe because it uses vegetable oil and cocoa powder; especially good for those times when I don't feel like melting butter or chocolate! 

Source: Hershey's Cocoa Cookbook, 1979.

1/2 cup vegetable oil or melted butter (I sometimes use coconut oil)
3/4 cup sugar (originally 1 cup, but I like to use less sugar)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup unsifted all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa (i like using dark cocoa)
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

1. Heat oven to 350F. Grease 9-inch square pan. (I used an 8-inch square pan).
2. In a large bowl, combine oil, sugar, and vanilla. Add eggs. Beat well with a spoon. If you love a crispy top, just beat the batter as much as possible after adding the eggs and before adding any other ingredients. 
3. Combine flour, cocoa, baling powder, and salt; gradually add to egg mixture until well blended.  Stir in nuts. Spread in pan.
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until brownie begins to pull away from edges of pan. Cool in pan. Cut into squares.

Makes 16 brownies.

Supernatural Brownies

Adapted from "Chocolate: From Simple Cookies to Extravagant Showstoppers," by Nick Malgieri (Morrow Cookbooks, 1998)

Time: About 1 hour

2 sticks (16 tablespoons) butter, more for pan and parchment paper
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup dark brown sugar, such as muscovado
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or 3/4 cup whole walnuts, optional.

1. Butter a 13-by-9-inch baking pan and line with buttered parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In top of a double boiler set over barely simmering water, or on low power in a microwave, melt butter and chocolate together. Cool slightly. In a large bowl or mixer, whisk eggs. Whisk in salt, sugars and vanilla.

2. Whisk in chocolate mixture. Fold in flour just until combined. If using chopped walnuts, stir them in. Pour batter into prepared pan. If using whole walnuts, arrange on top of batter. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until shiny and beginning to crack on top. Cool in pan on rack.

Yield: 15 large or 24 small brownies.

Note: For best flavor, bake 1 day before serving, let cool and store, tightly wrapped.

Chewy Picnic Brownies

Using cocoa powder and semisweet chocolate allowed us to cut back on the traditional high-fat, high-sugar ingredient quantities in brownies and still have a satisfyingly chewy, chocolaty dessert.

Photo and recipe from Vegetarian Times

Makes 16 brownies

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 6 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
• 6 oz. (1 1/2 sticks) nonhydrogenated margarine or butter, cut into
• small pieces
• 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs, beaten

1. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in large bowl. Preheat oven to 325°F. Coat 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray.

2. Melt chocolate and margarine in double boiler. Remove from heat, and whisk until smooth.

3. Stir brown sugar into chocolate-butter mixture. Stir in dry ingredients. Fold in beaten eggs. Spread in prepared baking pan, and bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until brownies look set, but still soft in center. Cool. Slice into squares.

Triple Chocolate Brownies

My husband loved these brownies when I made them today.

This is a rich, decadent, chewy chocolate treat. Moist and fudgy, who wouldn’t want one of these decadent brownies to end their meal? For a sophisticated flavour boost, add the zest of several oranges into the batter.Makes 12 large brownies or 16-24 small ones.

Photo and recipe from Michael Smith

• 250 g (8 oz) of dark chocolate
• 2 sticks (250 mL/1 cup) of butter
• 500 mL (1 cup) of all–purpose flour
• 250 mL (1/2 cup) of cocoa powder
• 5 mL (1 tsp) of baking powder
• a pinch of salt
• 4 eggs
• 500 mL (2 cups) of brown sugar
• 15 mL (1 tbsp) of pure vanilla extract
• 250 mL (1 cup) of chocolate chips

1. To protect the chocolate from direct heat, melt it and the butter in a heat-proof bowl set over a small pot of simmering water, stirring constantly. When the chocolate and butter have melted, whisk until smooth.
2. While the chocolate mixture cools slightly, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Add the eggs, sugar and vanilla to the chocolate and mix thoroughly. Stir in the flour mixture and chocolate chips until incorporated.
3. Pour batter into a lightly oiled and floured 3.5 L (9 x 13 in.) pan. Bake for exactly 25 minutes at 350F.

Hepburn's Brownies

There are several versions about this recipe's origins.

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Butter and flour an 8 inch (20 cm) square baking pan.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a stainless steel bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water (or in a heavy medium saucepan over low heat). Remove from heat and stir in the sugar. Next, stir in the vanilla extract and eggs and whisk until well blended. Finally, stir in the flour, salt and chopped nuts (if using).

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out sticky, with just a few crumbs clinging to it, but is not wet. Do not overbake. Remove from oven and let cool completly on a wire rack. Chill if you have the time, then cut into squared. If chilled, let stand at room temperature before serving.These freeze very well.

Makes 16 brownies.

Brownie Muffins

They're muffins in the morning and brownies by night. Overbaking kills brownies. Check for doneness by pressing on their tops - they'll spring back when ready. Makes one dozen 2-1/2 inch muffins.

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
10 tbsp unsalted butter
4 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350; line 12 muffin cups with foil liners and coat each with nonstick spray.

Melt semisweet chips and butter together in a large in a microwave at 50% power for 1 minute;stir. Microwave another minute and stir again. Repeat until mixture is smooth; let cool slightly.

Whisk eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt into melted chocolate. Be careful that the chocolate isn't too hot, or it will scramble the eggs.

Fold in flour just until incorporated. Add 1 cup milk chocolate chips and nuts.

Scoop about 1/3 cup batter into prepared foil cups. Then mound the top with an additional heaping spoonful of batter.

Top each with additional milk chocolate chips. Bake 35-40 minutes, remove from the pan, and cool on a rack.

Dark Chocolate Brownies

I'm still looking for the ultimate brownie recipe. I had one years ago, but can't seem to find it. Here's one I will try soon.

Photo and recipe from Better Homes & Gardens.
Ingredients

• 7 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 3/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Unsweetened cocoa powder and/or powdered sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9-inch square by 2-inch deep baking pan; set aside. In a medium saucepan, combine chocolate, butter, and the water; cook and stir over low heat until chocolate is melted. Transfer to a large bowl.
2. Add granulated sugar and brown sugar to chocolate mixture; beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed until combined. Add eggs and vanilla; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add flour, salt, and cinnamon. Beat on low speed until combined. Spread batter in prepared pan.
3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars. Sprinkle with cocoa powder and/or powdered sugar.
Makes: 20 to 25 brownies
To Bake Ahead: Prepare brownies as directed; do not cut into bars. Cover pan. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, cut brownies into bars and layer between waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw brownies; sprinkle with cocoa powder and/or powdered sugar.

Ultimate Chocolate Brownies

My sister had this small cookbook from Hershey's that had a good and simple Brownie recipe that made use of cocoa instead of chocolate squares. This isn't the same recipe, but I'm glad I found this by way of Apartment Therapy.

• 3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2/3 cup butter or margarine, melted and divided
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Chocolate Chips or HERSHEY'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• ONE-BOWL BUTTERCREAM FROSTING(recipe follows)

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 13x9x2-inch baking pan or two 8-inch square baking pans.

2. Stir together cocoa and baking soda in large bowl; stir in 1/3 cup butter. Add boiling water; stir until mixture thickens. Stir in sugar, eggs and remaining 1/3 cup butter; stir until smooth. Add flour, vanilla and salt; blend completely. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into prepared pan.

3. Bake 35 to 40 minutes for rectangular pan, 30 to 35 minutes for square pans or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Frost with ONE-BOWL BUTTERCREAM FROSTING. Cut into squares. About 36 brownies.

ONE-BOWL BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
2-2/3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat butter in medium bowl. Add powdered sugar and cocoa alternately with milk, beating to spreading consistency (additional milk may be needed). Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

Here's another gem from Apartment Therapy:

How to Get a Crunchy Top on Brownies

We love the glossy wafer-thin top crust that sometimes appears on brownies almost as much as we love the fudgy layer underneath. We always thought this was phenomenon was random or particular to specific recipes, but then we discovered that there's a way we can get it all the time! Here's how:

We consulted one of our favorite cookbooks, BakeWise, and found that this crispy top crust is actually a layer of meringue. That's right - whipped egg whites and sugar! It happens in recipes where the the butter and sugar are creamed together and then the eggs are added. The more the mixture is beaten once the eggs are added, the more prominent this crust.
If you're like us and you love the crispy top, just beat the batter as much as possible after adding the eggs and before adding any other ingredients. We tried this by hand using a whisk in with our recent batch of Hershey's Ultimate Chocolate Brownies and got a decent, though fairly thick crust. We expect that we'd get an even more impressive crust if we used a standing or hand mixer instead.
This recipe from Martha Stewart has you beat the eggs and sugar for a full 10 minutes!
• Chocolate Brownies from Martha Stewart
Conversely, if you're not a fan of crusts, just mix the batter as little as possible once you add the eggs. You might even whisk the eggs before adding them to the batter so they'll blend in more quickly and smoothly.
This method also works for cookies and cakes. Now that we know the secret, we're excited to experiment with all our baking!
What do you think: crispy crust, yay or nay?
(Image: Martha Stewart)