Brownies and Valentine's Day - you can't have one without the other, especially when they are cut into bite-size hearts. There's just something about Valentine's Day that screams for chocolate. I guess a life-time of advertising and subliminal messaging from companies and shops has worked!
Being that my family were all "cookie" people, we grew up eating cookies for a treat, not brownies or cakes. In fact, it is only recently that I've come to appreciate the appeal of a fabulous, fudgey brownie. For me, the draw of eating a great brownie comes from it's simplicity - dark chocolatey, slightly gooey goodness.
When people talk about brownies, it seems that there seems to be two distinct camps - Team Cakey vs Team Fudgey. I fall into the latter category, preferring a compact/dense brownie consistency. Sorry Team Cakey. (Some members of my immediate family, prefer a cakey brownie consistency, so for them (and you!), I have created a recipe for cake-like brownies and I have to say, even though I like fudgey, it's not too shabby!)
Aside from the consistency of a fudgey brownie, I also LOVE the crinkle top that develops due to the higher fat to flour ratio. Not only do I love the crinkle look, but the crinkled top also adds another layer of texture to this decadent treat. In this recipe, I try to amp up the texture even more by adding in a filling right before baking - I usually add additional chocolate chips, but nuts work wonderfully for extra crunch as well.
Whichever style of brownie you prefer, I've got you covered! Below's recipe is for the Fudgey Brownie lover, while the BEST Cake-Style Brownie can be found here soon (I'm still tweaking!).
So, stop reading and go make some brownies. Enjoy the decadence, you deserve it. Wishing you and those you love a cozy and safe Valentine's Day.
Take care,
Krista xo
The BEST Fudgey Brownies
makes one 9"X13" pan
Ingredients
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (reserve 1/2 cup to add into mix at end)
3/4 c salted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
Method
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. With parchment paper line, then spray a 9"X13" pan with non-stick baking spray (I do both as it's easier to lift the brownies out of the pan when cooling).
Add 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips (reserve left over 1/2 cup for the end) and butter to a small sauce pan over low-medium heat. Stir gently until chocolate chips have just melted and butter is incorporated. Let cool for 5 minutes.
In a medium bowl sieve, then whisk together flour, sugar, brown sugar, salt and baking powder.
In a small bowl add 3 eggs and whisk until frothy.
Slowly add the melted chocolate mixture to the dry ingredients, followed by the whisked eggs.
Add vanilla and remaining 1/2 cup of chocolate chips, stirring to mix in.
Pour batter into the lined and sprayed pan, using a spatula to even out the top, pressing into all 4 corners.
Bake for 40 minutes, or until a cake tester (or toothpick!) comes out clean.
Allow brownies to cool for 15 minutes before using parchment to lift brownies onto a wire cooling rack. Let brownies cool completely before cutting.
*If making for Valentine's Day - allow brownies to cool completely, then using multiple sized cookie cutters, cut out heart shapes. Garnish with edible rose petals.
Note:
*If you belong toTeam Cakey Brownie, my family's favourite recipe is coming here soon.
*Other optional add-ins before baking: walnuts, pecans, more chocolate chips, toffee bits, M&M's - really anything that has some crunch to it - I'd start with 1/2 cup.
Comments