My husband puts a box of brownie mix in the cart EVERY time we go grocery shopping- that included today as well. But I am tired of making them out of a box when they are super easy to make from scratch, especially this interesting recipe I picked up from Bon Appetit magazine.
I have never had "brown butter" anything, nor had I ever "browned" butter before. I've burnt it plenty of times, but never browned it. Well, I put my chefs hat on (okay not really, but I'd wear one if I had it) and got to work on these oh so delicious brownies. Oddly enough, browning butter was kind of freeing. I did something I'd never done before, and succeeded at it marvelously.
To brown butter, all you do is cut up some butter, put it in a saucepan at medium heat, and watch it while stirring a bit, for about 7 minutes. It was interesting to see all of the steps that the butter went through in the heating process. It was liquid, then foamy, then bubbly, then the bubbles started spitting out brown bits...letting me know my work was done.
You need to make these. Whether you've never made brownies from scratch, or you've been making them from scratch for 50 years...they are worth the effort just for a little something different.
Cook time: 25 minutes
Cook temp: 325
Makes: 16 brownies
Ingredients:
-nonstick oil spray
-10 tbsp butter (that is 1 stick plus 2 tablespoons), cut up into one inch squares.
-3/4 cup cocoa.
-1/3 cup + 1 tbsp all purpose flour
-1 1/4 cup sugar
-1 tsp vanilla
-2 large eggs
-1 cup walnuts or pecans (optional)
-2 tsp water
-kosher salt
Directions:
-This is key, put your oven rack in the bottom third of your oven. (first or second rack from the bottom).
-Line 8x8 metal baking pan with aluminum foil (on the nonstick side) and leave a 2 inch overhang.
-Coat foil with nonstick spray, bottom & sides.
-Preheat oven to 325.
-Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat.
-Continue cooking until butter stops foaming and browned bits form at bottom of pan, stirring often, about 5-7 minutes.
-Remove from heat, immediately add sugar, cocoa, water, vanilla and 1/4 teaspoon salt
-Stir to blend.
-Let cool for about 5 minutes. Mixture will still be quite warm.
-Add eggs to hot mixture, 1 at a time, beating vigorously to blend after each addition.
-When mixture looks thick and shiny, add flour and stir until blended.
-Beat vigorously, 60 strokes.
-Stir in nuts & transfer to prepared baking pan.
-Bake brownies until toothpick inserted into center comes out almost clean with a few moist crumbs attached (about 25 minutes).
-Cool in pan on cooling rack.
-Using foil overhang, lift brownies from pan.
-Cut into 4 strips. Cut each strip crosswise into 4 brownies.
-Store airtight at room temperature.
This was the cover recipe for Bon Appetit Magazine, February 2011 Issue.
I have never had "brown butter" anything, nor had I ever "browned" butter before. I've burnt it plenty of times, but never browned it. Well, I put my chefs hat on (okay not really, but I'd wear one if I had it) and got to work on these oh so delicious brownies. Oddly enough, browning butter was kind of freeing. I did something I'd never done before, and succeeded at it marvelously.
To brown butter, all you do is cut up some butter, put it in a saucepan at medium heat, and watch it while stirring a bit, for about 7 minutes. It was interesting to see all of the steps that the butter went through in the heating process. It was liquid, then foamy, then bubbly, then the bubbles started spitting out brown bits...letting me know my work was done.
You need to make these. Whether you've never made brownies from scratch, or you've been making them from scratch for 50 years...they are worth the effort just for a little something different.
Cook time: 25 minutes
Cook temp: 325
Makes: 16 brownies
Ingredients:
-nonstick oil spray
-10 tbsp butter (that is 1 stick plus 2 tablespoons), cut up into one inch squares.
-3/4 cup cocoa.
-1/3 cup + 1 tbsp all purpose flour
-1 1/4 cup sugar
-1 tsp vanilla
-2 large eggs
-1 cup walnuts or pecans (optional)
-2 tsp water
-kosher salt
Directions:
-This is key, put your oven rack in the bottom third of your oven. (first or second rack from the bottom).
-Line 8x8 metal baking pan with aluminum foil (on the nonstick side) and leave a 2 inch overhang.
-Coat foil with nonstick spray, bottom & sides.
-Preheat oven to 325.
-Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat.
-Continue cooking until butter stops foaming and browned bits form at bottom of pan, stirring often, about 5-7 minutes.
-Remove from heat, immediately add sugar, cocoa, water, vanilla and 1/4 teaspoon salt
-Stir to blend.
-Let cool for about 5 minutes. Mixture will still be quite warm.
-Add eggs to hot mixture, 1 at a time, beating vigorously to blend after each addition.
-When mixture looks thick and shiny, add flour and stir until blended.
-Beat vigorously, 60 strokes.
-Stir in nuts & transfer to prepared baking pan.
-Bake brownies until toothpick inserted into center comes out almost clean with a few moist crumbs attached (about 25 minutes).
-Cool in pan on cooling rack.
-Using foil overhang, lift brownies from pan.
-Cut into 4 strips. Cut each strip crosswise into 4 brownies.
-Store airtight at room temperature.
This was the cover recipe for Bon Appetit Magazine, February 2011 Issue.
