Recipe for "brownies-1"

NAME

     BROWNIES-1 - Very rich brownies with double frosting
     This recipe is for people who like intense chocolate flavor.
     The  result  is  a  brownie with a fondant frosting, covered
     with unsweetened chocolate.  They  are  vey  rich,  with  an
     intersting  combination  of textures. This recipe is not for
     beginners.

INGREDIENTS (1 dozen)

          BATTER
     60 g      unsweetened chocolate (2 squares)
     120 g     butter
     2         eggs (large)
     200 g     sugar
     5 ml      vanilla extract
     50 g      flour
     1 ml      salt
     60 g      chopped nuts (walnuts are traditional)
          FIRST FROSTING
     300 g     sugar
     80 g      butter
     12 cl     half-and-half (also called light cream)
     5 ml      vanilla extract
          SECOND FROSTING
     90 g      unsweetened chocolate (3 squares)

PROCEDURE

          (1)  Pre-heat oven to 175 deg. C.
          (2)  Melt 60 g of chocolate and the butter in  a  heavy
               saucepan, then let it cool.  Be careful not to let
               the chocolate burn.
          (3)  Beat the eggs in  a  large  bowl  until  they  are
               blended.  Add 200 g of sugar and mix well.
          (4)  Stir in chocolate-and-butter  mixture.  Mix  until
               the  chocolate  is  fully  incorporated,  with  no
               streakyness. Add the  vanilla,  flour,  salt,  and
               nuts.   Stir just until the flour is incorporated;
               overstirring will make a tough brownie.
          (5)  Spread the mixture in a greased 30 cm pan that  is
               4  cm  deep.  Bake in pre-heated oven for 20 to 25
               minutes.
          (6)  Cool in the pan on a rack. While  it  is  cooling,
               follow these instructions to make the first frost-
               ing:
          (7)  Mix 300 g sugar, 80 g butter, and 12 cl  of  half-
               and-half in a heavy, medium-size saucepan.
          (8)  Bring to a boil,  then  cook  over  moderate  heat
               without  stirring until a small amount of the mix-
               ture forms a soft ball when dropped in ice  water,
               or it reaches 113 deg. C on a candy thermometer.
          (9)  Remove from heat immediately and cool in a pan  of
               ice-water  until  the  candy  is lukewarm. DANGER:
               melted sugar cools  very  slowly.   You  can  burn
               yourself badly by testing it with your finger.
          (10) Add 5 ml vanilla extract to the  candy.   Beat  it
               until it is creamy and of a spreading consistency.
               This is most easily done with an  electric  mixer,
               although you can use a heavy wire whip.
          (11) Spread the frosting over the brownies.
          (12) Melt the remaining 90 g chocolate, and spread over
               the  frosting  just  put on the brownies. Cover as
               evenly as possible.
          (13) Cool for several hours  in  a  refrigerator,  then
               bring  to  room temperature and cut into pieces to
               serve.

NOTES

     Be very careful when melting chocolate.  It burns easily.  A
     double boiler is probably the best way thing to use.
     It is critical to cook the first frosting to just the  right
     point.  If cooked too little, it will be too thin to beat to
     a creamy consistency. If cooked too much,  it  will  be  too
     brittle.  So  keep  a  close  eye on it; sugar tends to cook
     slowly to the soft-ball stage, then it cooks quickly.

RATING

     Difficulty:  difficult.   Time:  a  few  hours  preparation,
     several  hours  chilling and then warming Precision: measure
     ingredients carefully.

CONTRIBUTOR

     Jeff Lichtman
     Relational Technology, Inc., Alameda, California, USA
     {amdahl,sun}!rtech!jeff  {ucbvax,decvax}!mtxinu!rtech!jeff