The best brownies in the world | براونيز

My search for the best brownies began in 2008 shortly after I got married and moved to Kuwait. There is something about brownies that has a comforting nature. Maybe its the chocolate. Or butter. Or sugar. Or the combination. Am not really sure. All I know is that inner dessert monster was demanding to be fed brownies. Always.

Of course back in the days, I was not the person I am now. I had a waist line to watch and bathroom scales that judge easily. So dessert were limited to once or twice per week. These were tough days in deed. Anyway, back to the monster that wanted brownies, this monster was not satisfied with all the restaurant brownies. They were either too cakey, too sweet, too bitter, Not gooey, not moist, not fudgy etc... And so, armed with my utter lack of culinary skills, I sadly settled  for whatever I offered.

Then one day when the culinary fairies found their way into my kitchen, I began a long journey of searching for the best brownie recipe ever. Me and my best friend Ms. Google, had a lot of fun searching for the perfect recipe. Until one day I found a recipe, gave it a try, and it was a huge hit to my brownies senses. I don't know what I've been offered all my life, because these are the only things I call brownies ever since.

Brownies are one of the easiest desserts. They don't require any special equipment. Not even an electric mixer. Just a bowl, double boiler, a whisk, and a pyrex pan. Brownies are literally a piece of cake - both to make and eat (pun intended).

Since these are an indulgent, please do use the best chocolate you can get your hands on. Usually when making chocolate cake I used a regular al-sedawi chocolate bar, but for these I use Green & Black's 70% cocoa bar. Yes, they are not cheap, BUT, they are totally worth it. You could always use a combination of half al-sedawi & half green and black. Whatever chocolate you use, I guarantee that these brownies will be addictive.

You'll see on the pictures that I am using an individual sized brownie pan. I recently splurged and bought this from Lakeland, located in Marina mall. Its a bit overpriced, but am the kind who usually has a heartache cutting brownies with a knife. The perfectionist diva living inside me always wants perfect squares. Thanks to this pan, now my diva is satisfied. But you dont really need to buy this pan to make these brownies. A regular pyrex dish works fine. Just make sure to butter and flour it, and line the pan with parchment paper to make it easier to remove.

The recipe is from a book called "Baked: New Frontiers in Baking" by Matt Lewis, Renato Poliafito and Tina Rupp. The writers run a very successful bakery in Brooklyn, the bakery has a local branch here in Kuwiat in the Al-Tilal Complex,  52 Degrees.

Baked Brownies

Published in Baked: New Frontiers in Baking
Adapted from Kirbie's Craving,

Ingredients
1-1/4 cups or 175 g all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons unsweetened dark cocoa powder
2 cups or 310 g quality dark chocolate (60-72% cocoa), chopped coarsely
1 cup or 200 g unsalted butter (2 sticks)
1 tsp instant coffee (Nescafe)
1-1/2 cup or 300 g cups white sugar
1/2 cup or 100 g light brown sugar
5 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 180°C /350 °F /Gas mark 4.
2. Butter the sides and bottom of a glass or light colored metal pan 9x13x2 pan.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk your dry ingredients: flour, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside.
4. In the bowl of a large double boiler place the chocolate, butter, and the instant coffee. Make sure the water is not touching the bowl. Stir occasionally until they are melted and combined. 
5. Turn off the heat, but keep the bowl over the water gradually add the sugars while whisking continuously. Once the sugars are combined, remove the bowl and let it cool to room temperature.
6. Add the eggs one by one to the chocolate/butter mixture and whisk until just combined. Stir in the vanilla. Do not over beat the batter at this stage or your brownies will be cakey.
7. Fold in half the dry ingredients using a silicone spatula or metal spoon. Once mixed, fold in the second half, and mix only until combined. Do not over mix.
   Pour the mixture into the pan and smooth the top with your spatula. 
8. Bake for 30 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted to the center of the pan comes out with dew moist crumbs. Don not over bake or the brownies will turn out dry.
   Cool the brownies completely before cutting and serving.
9. Cover with a cling wrap and store in an airtight container.
   
   
   
   

   براونيز

   المكونات
   كوب وربع او 175 غ طحين
   ملعقة صغيرة ملح
   ملعقتان كبيرة كاكاو غير محلى
   كوبان او 310 غ شوكولا غامقة سادة 60 او 70% جوامد الكاكاو
   كوب او 200 غ زبدة غير مملحة
   ملعقة صغيرة قهوة - نسكافيه
   كوب ونصف او 300 غ سكر ابيض
   نصف كوب او 100 غ سكر بني
   خمس بيضات كبيرة - في درجة حرارة الغرفة
   ملعقتان صغيرة من سائل الفانيليا
   
   الطريقة
   يسخن الفرن الى درجة حرارة 180 درجة مئوية / 350 فهرنهايت / حرارة الغاز 4
   يدهن قالب بايركس زجاجي بالزبدة وبرش بالطحين
   يخلط الطحين والكاكاو والملح
   في الغلاية المزدوجة توضع الشوكولا والقهوة والزبدة مع التحريك من حين لآخر حتى تذوب وتختلط
   تطفأ الحرارة. يضاف السكر الابيض والبني تدريجيا ويخفق قليلا عندما تمتزج المواد يزال القدر عن النار ويترك حتى يبرد ويصبح بدرجة حرارة الغرفة
   يضاف البيض واحدة تلة الاخرى الى خليط الشوكولا وتخلط حتى تمتزج. يضاف الفانيليا مع الانتباه لعدم الخفق بعد ان تمتزج المواد
   يضاف نصف خليط الطحين ويمزج باستعمال الملعقة الحديد او السيليكون عندما تمتزج يضاف النصف الاخر حتى تختلط المواد
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