Palm Beach Brownies: Not Your Grandmother's Brownies

I have worshipped at the altar of Maida Heatter since I became serious about cooking and baking. One of the first grown up cookbooks I purchased was her Book of Great Desserts (1967). Her instructions might seem a tad controlling, but they are essential contributors to the PBB's incredibly fudgy goodness. These are brownies that must be made the day before they are enjoyed and they are brownies that need no embellishments (though a scoop of vanilla ice cream never hurt anything). I'm guessing the name is a nod to the luxurious playground for the rich--and these brownies are rich. The instructions are very complete, but the brownies are easy to make.

Yield- 2 dozen of the most incredible brownies you'll ever eat
(adapted from Maida Heatter's recipe)

1 cup unsalted butter plus 2 tbs for the pan
8 oz unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
5 eggs
1 tbs vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbs dry instant espresso powder
3 3/4 cups sugar
1 2/3 cups flour
8 oz walnut halves, roughly chopped

Adjust oven rack one-third up from the bottom and preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Invert a 9 X 13 inch baking pan and drape it with a piece of aluminum foil, shiny side down, long enough to cover the pan's sides. Use your hands to carefully press down on the foil around the sides and the corners, shaping it to create a foil liner. Remove foil, turn pan right side up, place foil liner in pan and carefully press into place. Place 2 tbs butter into prepared pan and place in oven for 1 to 2 minutes to melt butter. Brush melted butter evenly across bottom and up sides of foil lined pan.

In a double boiler (or in a microwave oven), combine the chocolate with the remaining 1 cup of butter, stirring occasionally until chocolate and butter habve melted and are thoroughly combined and smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of an electric mixer on low speed, beat eggs, vanilla and almond extract, salt, espresso powder, and sugar for 1 minute. Increase speed to medium high and beat for 9 additional minutes. Scrape bottom and sides of bowl, reduce speed to medium, add cooled chocolate-butter mixture, and mix until combined. Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture, and mix until just combined. Stir in nuts.

Scrape batter evenly into prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.

Bake for 16 minutes, then rotate the pan halfway. Cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil and continue baking another 16 minutes. At this point, the brownies should be pulling away from the pan's edges and the top should have developed a few cracks. If you insert a toothpick, it will come out wet. That is okay. If no cracks have appeared, remove foil and bake an additional minute up to 3 minutes, checking after each minute. Do NOT overbake.

Remove from oven, transfer pan to a wire rack, and cool to room temperature. At this point, cover with aluminum foil and freeze overnight.

When ready to serve, thaw brownies. Cover with a wire rack or cookie sheet and invert, removing the pan and peeling away the layer of foil. Cover with a cutting board and use a serrated knife to cut brownies into 24 pieces. Serve chilled or at room temperature. Store leftovers by wrapping individually in plastic wrap or storing in an airtight container.

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TASTE NOTES
There are no adjectives to describe adequately the exquisite texture of these brownies. If I didn't know how to make them, I would guess the ingredients included cream because the texture is somewhat like a ganache. The top is crusty and the brownie is simultaneously sturdy, yet gooey. I defy you to eat one and not utter OMG!

Brownie Wars Revisited

No, I haven't dropped off the face of the earth, but I have been busy, busy, busy, mostly with my quilting, but with other pursuits as well. For those of you who are also retired, you'll understand when I say that I don't know how I ever fit work into my schedule.

I decided to post today because I want the recipe for these two incredible treats where I can always find them. The debate as to which brownie is superior--cake-y or fudge-y will never be won. And then you can throw into the mix the devotees of blondies and all I can predict is lots of yummy moments nibbling on the "contestants."

For the fudge-y brownies, I went to the King Arthur baking site. If you haven't visited this site, you've been missing out on some cooking and baking magic. Here is the link to these brownies (click here).

YIELD: 24

4 large eggs

• 1 1/4 cups  Dutch-process cocoa
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 2 cups chocolate chips

1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan

2) Crack the 4 eggs into a bowl, and beat them with the cocoa, salt, baking powder, espresso powder, and vanilla till smooth.

3) In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, or in a saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter, then add the sugar and stir to combine. Or simply combine the butter and sugar, and heat, stirring, until the butter is melted. Continue to heat (or microwave) briefly, just until the mixture is hot (about 110°F to 120°F), but not bubbling; it'll become shiny looking as you stir it. Heating the mixture to this point will dissolve more of the sugar, which will yield a shiny top crust on your brownies.

4) Add the hot butter/sugar mixture to the egg/cocoa mixture, stirring until smooth.

5) Add the flour and chips, again stirring until smooth. Note: If you want the chips to remain intact in the baked brownies, rather than melting in, let the batter cool in the bowl for about 20 minutes before stirring in the chips.

6) Spoon the batter into a lightly greased 9" x 13" pan.

7) Bake the brownies for about 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. The brownies should feel set on the edges, and the center should look very moist, but not uncooked. Remove them from the oven and cool on a rack before cutting and serving.

nutrition information

Serving Size: 1 brownie (63g) Servings Per Batch:24 Amount Per Serving: Calories: 260 Calories from Fat: 130 Total Fat: 17g Saturated Fat: 8g Trans Fat:0g. Cholesterol: 55mg Sodium: 130mg Total Carbohydrate: 36g Dietary Fiber: 2g Sugars: 27gProtein: 3g.

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For the coconut macadamia blondies, I refer you to my blogging friend Deb of Kahaki Kitchen (click here).

Coconut Blondies 
Adapted from Ruth Cousineau, Gourmet Magazine 2008 via Epicurious
(Yield : 24 )
2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter
2 cups packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
 6 oz toasted and and chopped macadamia nuts
2 cups sweetened flaked coconut, divided

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter and flour a 13- by 9-inch baking pan. 

Melt butter in a large bowl in the microwave, stirring, until smooth. Cool to lukewarm. Whisk in brown sugar and vanilla. Whisk in eggs 1 at a time until mixture is glossy and smooth. 

Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt, then whisk into butter mixture. Stir in chopped macadamias and 1 1/2 cups coconut. 

Spread in pan and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup coconut. Bake until a pick inserted in center comes out clean, 35-45 minutes. I started checking mine at 35 minutes, then cooking in 5 minute intervals before checking again. A cake tester inserted into the middle should come out clean. Cool completely.

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TASTE NOTES

The smells in my kitchen were intoxicating. Both these recipes are very simple, but the results belie that simplicity. The brownies have that classic glazed and crackled top with just the right amount of chewiness and chocolate magic.

The blondies were the surprise of the day. The only blondies I've ever eaten contained white chocolate, which I abhor. These reminded me of caramel. I confess to licking the bowl clean before washing up. The combination of toasted macadamia, caramel, and coconut put me in mind of the gentle trade winds of Hawaii. Thank you Deb. And thank you King Arthur.