Brownies, Brownies

Homewood Brownies


Makes about 3 dozen.


Note: This recipe is from and old church cookbook, but closely resemples many recipes for less-cakey brownies. It's prepared entirely in a saucepan, so no mixer is needed - just a little muscle.


Ingredients:

200g butter

150g unsweetened chocolate

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup chopped walnuts, if desired

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Melt butter and chocolate in a pan over low heat. Remove from heat and cool slightly. While chocolate is cooling, mix together the sifted flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

In another bowl, beat together the 4 eggs. Beating steadily and briskly, ideally with a whisk, add the eggs 1/4 cup at a time (or in four steps) to the cooled chocolate mixture, beating each time until well combined.

With a spoon or spatula, stir in sugar and vanilla, then add dry ingredients, mixing until well combined. Add walnuts, if desired.

Scrape batter into ungreased pan of approximately 22cm by 33cm. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Do not overbake. Cool completely on wire rack before slicing.

Here are three variations on the classic brownie recipe, courtesy of cuisine.com.au:

Cream Cheese Chocolate and Coffe Brownies

Cream Cheese Chocolate and Coffe Brownies

This is a simplified version of a brilliant recipe from The Cook's Book by Jill Norman. It has fewer ingredients and cooking steps but is just as delicious.

Ingredients:

500g cream cheese

460g caster sugar

215g plain flour, sifted

7 eggs

2 yolks

200g dark chocolate buttons

300g butter

1 tbsp instant coffee, mixed with 1 tsp water to dissolve

200g pecans

1 cup icing sugar, sifted

1/4 cup cocoa

Line a 30 x 25 x 4cm baking tray with baking paper. Preheat oven to 170C. Blend 400g cream cheese with 60g sugar, 15g flour, 1 egg and the yolks until smooth. Place in a piping bag fitted with a small nozzle and refrigerate. Whisk remaining eggs and 200g sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually whisk in remaining sugar. Melt chocolate and butter together over a saucepan of simmering water, stir to combine. Add coffee to chocolate. Remove from heat and stir through 1/4 of the egg mixture. Fold chocolate mix through remaining egg mix. Fold through flour and pecans. Pour into tin. Pipe cream cheese mixture into brownie batter evenly, close together at regular intervals. Bake for 40 minutes or until puffed up in the middle. Allow to cool on a wire rack. Blend remaining cream cheese, icing sugar and cocoa to make icing. Spread over cooled brownies before cutting into squares.

Beetroot and Chocolate Brownies with Vanilla Mascarpone

Beetroot and chocolate Brownies with vanilla Mascarpone

Ingredients:  (serves 8)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 medium beetroot (about 140g), peeled and grated

90g walnuts, coarsely chopped

250g mascarpone

1 vanilla bean

440g caster sugar

4 eggs

225g plain flour, sifted

¼ tspsalt

2½ tbsp cocoa powder

150g butter, melted

Preheat oven to 160C. Beat sugar and eggs in a large bowl until thick and pale, then fold in flour and salt. Combine cocoa and butter in a small bowl and stir until smooth, then fold into egg mixture. Add vanilla and beetroot and stir well. Fold in walnuts and pour mixture into a greased, paper-lined 25cm square cake tin. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Cool in tin. Place mascarpone in a bowl. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into mascarpone and mix well. To serve, cut brownies into squares and top with a dollop of vanilla mascarpone.

Chocolate Cashew Brownies

These brownies are delicious tucked into children's lunch boxes - if you omit the Tia Maria - and they also make a luscious ending to a dinner party when served a little larger and topped with mascarpone or vanilla bean ice-cream.

Ingredients:  (seves 8)

440g caster sugar

4 eggs

225g plain flour, sifted

1/4 tsp salt

2 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder

150g butter, melted

1 tbsp Tia Maria

90g toasted cashew nuts, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 160C.

Beat sugar and eggs in a large bowl until thick and pale, then fold in sifted flour and salt. Combine cocoa and butter and stir until smooth, then fold cocoa mixture and Tia Maria into egg mixture. Fold in chopped cashews, pour mixture into a greased, paper-lined 25 x 25cm cake tin and bake for 45-50 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer.

Cool in tin.

To serve

Cut brownies into squares and serve with mascarpone or ice-cream.