Cooks Illustrated Classic Brownies Food

CLASSIC BROWNIES

Steps:

• Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325 F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil; butter the foil and set aside. Set a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water). Put the 5 tablespoons of butter in the bowl, add the chocolate pieces, and stir occasionally until the ingredients are just melted-you don't want them to get so hot that the butter separates. Remove the bowl from the pan of water; stir well to combine and ensure that all the chocolate is melted.
• With a spatula, stir the sugar into the chocolate mixture and combine. (Don't be concerned when your smooth mixture turns grainy.) One by one, add the eggs and stir well to combine. Add the vanilla and give the ingredients a vigorous mix before gently stirring in the espresso, if you're using it, then the salt and flour. Stir only until incorporated. Fold in the chopped walnuts.
• Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top with the spatula. Bake for 30-33 minutes, or until the top is matte and a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and cool the brownies to room temperature.
• When the brownies are completely cool, remove them from the pan using the foil. Peel away the foil and invert brownies onto a cutting board. Cut into 16 squares, each a scant 2 inches on a side.

CLASSIC BROWNIES

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 325. You can use a greased brownie pan or make an aluminum sling out of foil in a 9x13 baking pan. If so, grease the foil.
• 2. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Melt the chopped chocolate in a microwave safe bowl at 50% for 2 minutes. Stir the chocolate and add the butter, heating at 30 second intervals until melted. Stir together. Or you could melt them on a double burner.
• 3. Once the chocolate is melted, add the sugar and whisk in well, then the eggs, one at a time. Make sure it is all thoroughly combined. Whisk in the vanilla and then mix in the flour, folding it in with a rubber spatula until smooth. Pour into the baking pan of choice. Sprinkle with nuts. In the 9x13 pan, bake from 30-35 minutes. In a brownie pan, bake about 15 minutes, then start checking. It will probably take at least 20. DO NOT OVER BAKE. Test with a toothpick and it should still have crumbs on it. Not wet batter, but not dry either. Let cool on wire rack in pan for about 2 hours. Remove foil sling from pan. Did you know it is easier to slice brownies with a plastic knife? Or so 'they' say. Mine keep breaking. Ubber strong brownies? Or weak plastic knives?

CLASSIC BROWNIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°.
• Cut 18" length foil and fold lenghtwise to 8" width.
• Fit foil into 13x9" baking dish.
• Make sure it is in the corners and sides of the baking dish.
• Make sure that the foil hangs over the side.
• Cut a 14 inch length foil, and fit into width of pan, perpendicular to first sheet.
• Make sure the foil hangs over the side.
• Spray foil with cooking spray.
• In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking powder; set aside.
• Melt chocolate and butter in double broiler, stirring until smooth.
• When chocolate is smooth, remove from heat and gradually whisk in sugar.
• Add eggs one at a time, whisking after each egg.
• Add in vanilla.
• Add 1/3 flour mixture, fold in with rubber spatula.
• Repeat until all flour is used and mix is smooth.
• Pour batter into prepared pan- make sure to spread brownie mix into corners of pan.
• Smooth the surface for even baking.
• If using nuts, sprinkle them on top.
• Cook brownies for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the brownies comes out clean.
• Cool in pan on wire rack for 2 hours.
• Remove brownies from pan by lifting foil over-hang.
• Cut brownies into 2" squares.
• Brownies can can be stored in an airtight container up to 3 days.

COOK'S ILLUSTRATED CLASSIC BROWNIES

Steps:

• 1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 325 degrees. Cut 18-inch length foil and fold lengthwise to 8-inch width. Fit foil into length of 13- by 9-inch baking dish, pushing it into corners and up sides of pan; allow excess to overhang pan edges. Cut 14-inch length foil and, if using extra-wide foil, fold lengthwise to 12-inch width; fit into width of baking pan in same manner, perpendicular to first sheet. Spray foil-lined pan with nonstick cooking spray. 3. Whisk to combine flour, salt, and baking powder in medium bowl; set aside. 4. Melt chocolate and butter in large heatproof bowl set over saucepan of almost-simmering water, stirring occasionally, until smooth. (Alternatively, in microwave, heat butter and chocolate in large microwave-safe bowl on high for 45 seconds, then stir and heat for 30 seconds more. Stir again, and, if necessary, repeat in 15-second increments; do not let chocolate burn.) When chocolate mixture is completely smooth, remove bowl from saucepan and gradually whisk in sugar. Add eggs one at time, whisking after each addition until thoroughly combined. Whisk in vanilla. Add flour mixture in three additions, folding with rubber spatula until batter is completely smooth and homogeneous. 5. Transfer batter to prepared pan; using spatula, spread batter into corners of pan and smooth surface. Sprinkle toasted nuts (if using) evenly over batter and bake until toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into center of brownies comes out with few moist crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours, then remove brownies from pan by lifting foil overhang. Cut brownies into 2-inch squares and serve. (Store leftovers in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.)

CLASSIC BROWNIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on at least 2 sides. Butter the foil.
• Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder and salt in a medium bowl. Melt the butter and chocolate in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently. Let cool slightly. Stir in the sugar and eggs. Add the flour mixture, and stir to combine. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake until a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Let the brownies cool completely in the pan on a cooling rack. Use the foil overhang to help lift them out of the pan. Cut into 16 squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

NEW CLASSIC BROWNIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line an 8-inch-square metal baking pan with foil. In top of a double boiler set over barely simmering water, or on low power in a microwave, melt butter and chocolate together. Stir often, and remove from heat when a few lumps remain. Stir until smooth.
• Stir in sugar, vanilla and salt. Stir in eggs one at a time, followed by flour. Stir until very smooth, about 1 minute, until mixture pulls away from sides of bowl. Add nuts, if using. Scrape batter into prepared pan and bake 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare a water bath: Pour ice water into a large roasting pan or kitchen sink to a depth of about 1 inch. Remove pan from oven and place in water bath, being careful not to splash water on brownies. Let cool completely, then lift out and cut into 1-inch squares or wrap in foil.