World Famous Brownies Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8x8 or 9x9 inch baking pan.
• In a medium bowl, beat together the butter and sugar. Add eggs, and mix well. Combine the flour, cocoa and salt; stir into the sugar mixture. Mix in the vanilla and stir in walnuts if desired. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are firm. Cool before cutting into squares.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spray a 13 by 9-inch pan with vegetable oil spray.
• In a glass or ceramic bowl, melt the butter in the microwave. Whisk in the sugar, eggs, cocoa, and vanilla. Stir in the flour and salt. Add chopped semisweet and bittersweet chocolates and pecans.
• Spread the batter in prepared pan. Bake about 25 minutes, just until brownies test moist but not wet. Cool completely before cutting.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8-inch square pan.
• In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, salt, and baking powder. Spread batter into prepared pan.
• Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Do not overcook.
• To Make Frosting: Combine 3 tablespoons softened butter, 3 tablespoons cocoa, honey, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 cup confectioners' sugar. Stir until smooth. Frost brownies while they are still warm.

Steps:

• Beat together sugar, eggs, and oil.
• Sift flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa together.
• Add to sugar-egg mixture.
• Add vanilla and nuts (if desired).
• Pour into two cake pans (8x8x2) lined with foil.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.
• Cut when cool and dust with powdered sugar.

Steps:

• Cut 185g unsalted butter into small cubes and tip into a medium bowl. Break 185g dark chocolate into small pieces and drop into the bowl.
• Fill a small saucepan about a quarter full with hot water, then sit the bowl on top so it rests on the rim of the pan, not touching the water. Put over a low heat until the butter and chocolate have melted, stirring occasionally to mix them.
• Remove the bowl from the pan. Alternatively, cover the bowl loosely with cling film and put in the microwave for 2 minutes on High. Leave the melted mixture to cool to room temperature.
• While you wait for the chocolate to cool, position a shelf in the middle of your oven and turn the oven on to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
• Using a shallow 20cm square tin, cut out a square of non-stick baking parchment to line the base. Tip 85g plain flour and 40g cocoa powder into a sieve held over a medium bowl. Tap and shake the sieve so they run through together and you get rid of any lumps.
• Chop 50g white chocolate and 50g milk chocolate into chunks on a board.
• Break 3 large eggs into a large bowl and tip in 275g golden caster sugar. With an electric mixer on maximum speed, whisk the eggs and sugar. They will look thick and creamy, like a milk shake. This can take 3-8 minutes, depending on how powerful your mixer is. You'll know it's ready when the mixture becomes really pale and about double its original volume. Another check is to turn off the mixer, lift out the beaters and wiggle them from side to side. If the mixture that runs off the beaters leaves a trail on the surface of the mixture in the bowl for a second or two, you're there.
• Pour the cooled chocolate mixture over the eggy mousse, then gently fold together with a rubber spatula. Plunge the spatula in at one side, take it underneath and bring it up the opposite side and in again at the middle. Continue going under and over in a figure of eight, moving the bowl round after each folding so you can get at it from all sides, until the two mixtures are one and the colour is a mottled dark brown. The idea is to marry them without knocking out the air, so be as gentle and slow as you like.
• Hold the sieve over the bowl of eggy chocolate mixture and resift the cocoa and flour mixture, shaking the sieve from side to side, to cover the top evenly.
• Gently fold in this powder using the same figure of eight action as before. The mixture will look dry and dusty at first, and a bit unpromising, but if you keep going very gently and patiently, it will end up looking gungy and fudgy. Stop just before you feel you should, as you don't want to overdo this mixing.
• Finally, stir in the white and milk chocolate chunks until they're dotted throughout.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, scraping every bit out of the bowl with the spatula. Gently ease the mixture into the corners of the tin and paddle the spatula from side to side across the top to level it.
• Put in the oven and set your timer for 25 mins. When the buzzer goes, open the oven, pull the shelf out a bit and gently shake the tin. If the brownie wobbles in the middle, it's not quite done, so slide it back in and bake for another 5 minutes until the top has a shiny, papery crust and the sides are just beginning to come away from the tin. Take out of the oven.
• Leave the whole thing in the tin until completely cold, then, if you're using the brownie tin, lift up the protruding rim slightly and slide the uncut brownie out on its base. If you're using a normal tin, lift out the brownie with the foil. Cut into quarters, then cut each quarter into four squares and finally into triangles.
• They'll keep in an airtight container for a good two weeks and in the freezer for up to a month.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Line an 8-inch square pan with aluminum foil.
• Place bittersweet chocolate, unsweetened chocolate and butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 2-3 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds (don't skip this step or the chocolate will scorch!) until mixture is melted. Cool to lukewarm (don't skip this step either or the eggs will curdle!).
• Once mixture is cooled, stir in the sugar, pinch of salt, and vanilla until combined.
• Beat in the eggs by hand, one at a time.
• Add the flour and stir energetically for 3-5 minutes until the batter is thick, smooth, and 'dry'. It will look curdled at first and may have some separated liquid, but if you stir it thoroughly it will reach the correct consistency. (This step is the most important to ensure the brownies have the perfect consistency!).
• Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the center feels almost set (with a few dry crumbs when tested), about 20-30 minutes. Do not overbake!
• Let the brownies cool completely in the pan before serving. (Note: These brownies will 'mature' and improve in flavor and texture the following day or two after baking. Don't eat them all the first day and you will see what I mean!).
• These brownies can be stored, tightly covered with aluminum foil, at room temperature for up to a week.
• Enjoy!