Brownies are often among the first recipes a beginning baker attempts. In fact, many of us baked our first proud batch of brownies as children. And, just as likely, we’ve puzzled for years over why such a “simple” recipe can have such variable results: too dry, too blah, too underbaked in the center. But the most important aspect of a brownie, for anyone who loves brownies, is texture.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbs vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 tbs salt
- 1.4 tbs baking powder
For Frosting:
- 3 tbsp butter, softened
- 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbs vanilla extract
- 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
Cooking Procedure:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F 9 175 degrees C). Grease and Flour an inch square baking pan.
- In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and 1 tsp. vanilla.
- Beat in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, salt, and baking powder. Spread batter into prepared pan.
- Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or up. Do not overcook.
- To make frosting: Combine 3 tbsp butter, 3 tbsp cocoa, 1 tbsp honey, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1 cup confectioner’s sugar. Frost brownies while they are still warm.
Cooking Tips:
- Brownies aren’t a low-fat treat. Besides the butter–as much as 8 ounces, or one full stick, per batch–there’s the cocoa butter in the chocolate itself.
- For a calorie-trimming alternative, look for recipes that use unsweetened cocoa powder instead of bar chocolate, or substitute 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder, plus 1 tablespoon butter, for each ounce of unsweetened chocolate. (“Dutch-process” cocoa has the smoothest, mildest, and richest flavor).
- Most cocoa powder has only 10 percent to 12 percent fat, compared to unsweetened bar chocolate’s 50 percent to 55 percent. And many tasters can’t tell the difference!
