Mascarpone Brownies Giada Food

CHOCOLATE MASCARPONE BROWNIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F; have ready a buttered 8-inch square glass cake pan.
• First, prepare the brownies.
• In a small saucepan, melt the butter and bring it to just below a boil; have the chopped chocolate in a mixing bowl--pour the hot butter over the chocolate and let stand for 30 seconds.
• Stir until chocolate is completely melted.
• Sift in the sugar and cocoa powder (I do this through a sieve, not with a sifter).
• With a wooden spoon, beat in the mascarpone, eggs (30 minutes on the counter brings them to room temperature) and vanilla, mixing until smooth.
• Gently fold the flour and salt into the batter.
• Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly--this is important since, if the batter isn't spread evenly, it won't bake evenly.
• Place into preheated oven and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean (45 minutes did it for me).
• Place pan on a cooling rack and let brownies cool for 10-15 minutes, while you now make the ganache.
• Place chopped chocolate in a mixing bowl; in a small saucepan, bring the cream and the butter to just below the boiling point, over medium heat.
• Pour this hot cream-butter mixture over the chocolate and let stand for 30 seconds, then stir until smooth; ganache is now ready to use and can be spread over the brownies.
• Should you wish to wait a bit, make sure the ganache is warm when you spread over the brownies, as it does firm up which makes spreading hard to do.
• Don't cut into the brownies until ganache has firmed up; I find it best to put the brownies into the fridge to speed this along; once the ganache is firm the brownies do not need to be kept in the fridge, though.

LEMON CHEESECAKE BROWNIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch square glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and line with a strip of parchment paper.
• Using a rubber spatula, mix together the brownie mix, vegetable oil, egg and 1/3 cup water in a medium bowl until just combined. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the mascarpone, sugar and lemon zest. Pour half the brownie batter in the bottom of the prepared dish and spread evenly. Dollop half of the cheesecake mixture on top and swirl in. Continue with the remaining brownie batter and cheesecake mix.
• Bake until the brownie just barely jiggles and only a few crumbs come out on a toothpick inserted in the center, 55 minutes to 1 hour. Cool completely before refrigerating. Serve chilled.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish with 1 teaspoon butter. Cut a piece of parchment paper in a strip to line the bottom and 2 sides of the dish. Butter the paper with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon butter and set aside.
• Place the unsweetened chocolate and 8 tablespoons butter in a medium heat-proof bowl that fits comfortably over a saucepan filled with 1 inch water. Place the double-boiler over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula, until the chocolate and butter are just barely melted. Remove the bowl from the heat and continue to stir for 1 minute to cool slightly. The mixture should be warm to the touch, not hot.
• Using a hand-held mixer, beat the sugar, vanilla and salt into the chocolate mixture until smooth. Add the eggs and yolk all at once and beat until fully incorporated and smooth. Fold in the flour and semisweet chocolate chips with a silicone spatula until just barely combined; a few streaks are fine. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake on the middle rack until just set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Do not overbake. Allow to cool to room temperature before cutting into 16 small pieces.

MASCARPONE BROWNIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F and grease an 8x8 baking pan.
• In a double boiler melt butter and chocolate, stirring frequently.
• When chocolate and butter are completely melted and combined, add sugar and stir until mixture is shiny. It will still look a bit grainy.
• Remove from heat and add marscapone, vanilla, and eggs, mixing until smooth.
• Sift flour, salt and cocoa into mixture with a sieve and stir just until combined, making sure to scrape all sides of the bowl. (Mixture will be rather light in texture, instead of dense and heavy like many brownie batters).
• Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top to ensure even baking.
• Bake for 40-50 minutes until tester comes out clean.
• Use the flat end of a potato masher to lightly tamp down the surface of the brownies while they are still warm. Do not squish! Merely flatten any parts that might have raised more than others (typically the edges). This will help the ganache coat evenly. Leave in pan and set on wire rack to cool.
• About 5 minutes before your brownies are done, start making your ganache to pour over the top (which you will want to do while your brownies are still warm). In a double boiler heat butter, cream, and chocolate until melted, stirring frequently.
• Once brownies have been tamped flat and your ganache is smooth, immediately pour ganache over brownies. Let cool completely in refrigerator.
• Once chilled, turn the brownies out of the pan onto a cutting board, and slice into desired number or pieces (4 cuts in each direction will yield 25 pieces approximately 1.5"x1.5" in size). Dusting the knife with cocoa powder may help keep it clean if this becomes problematic.