Directions
Brownies are not only soft and sumptuous chocolate sweets. They are also the sweet symbol of the United States. Every homemaker, every diner and top chef has their recipe. Talking about brownies in America is like talking about spaghetti in Italy. Certain recipes are written in the DNA of a people.
The origin of chocolate brownies dates back to 1893 when Mrs. Bertha Palmer, owner of the Palmer House Hotel in Chicago, asked her pastry chef to create lady cakes, as delicious as a cake but comfortable enough to be placed in a box for lunch.
The recipe we propose today is the traditional one of soft and fluffy brownies that melt in the mouth. Still, we took the liberty of adding some variations to liven up and enrich the “usual brownies” with a drop of creativity.
The choice is yours. In the meantime, let’s start with the basic recipe!
Ingredients for making the perfect brownies
10 servings
- 100 grams of dark chocolate
- 115 grams of unsalted butter
- 4 eggs, at room temperature
- 200 grams of white sugar
- 200 grams of brown sugar
- 50 grams of unsweetened cocoa powder
- 5 grams of salt
- 130 grams of flour
- 140 grams of chocolate flakes
- 1 tablespoon of Baileys, optional
- 3 tablespoons of whiskey, optional
How to make the perfect brownies
Preheat the oven to 170 degrees. Sift the flour and cocoa together. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a double boiler. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter very slowly until golden brown.
Pour the melted butter into the bowl of chocolate, then add the Baileys and 1 tablespoon of whiskey (optional). Beat the eggs and sugar together until well blended, about 2 minutes. Continue beating with the blender set on low speed while adding the flour and other ingredients. Proceed slowly, one ingredient at a time, giving them time to blend.
Pour the mixture into a greased and floured rectangular pan. You can also use parchment paper. Bake in the oven at 170 degrees for 35 minutes.
To understand if the brownies are ready, take a toothpick and plant it in the center. If it comes out nice and dry, then they are ready. When the mixture is cooked, let it cool on an iron grate and cut into squares.
If you want to add an extra touch of panache, sprinkle a spoonful of whiskey and continue cooking the brownies for another 5 minutes.
If you want them drenched in alcohol while the cookies are still warm, sprinkle another 2cl of whiskey on the brownie pieces.
Serve the brownies with whiskey-flavored whipped cream, a sprig of mint and a sprinkle of crumbled walnuts.
If you feel particularly greedy, take 250 grams of chocolate, a tablespoon of butter and 20 ml of cream, melt in a saucepan in a double boiler over low heat and when the chocolate is melted, drop it on a tower of brownies.
Or let’s move on to the version with whipped cream!
Ingredients for whiskey flavored whipped cream
- 1 cup icy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon of sugar
- a 6 cl of Scotch whisky
Whip the cream and sugar together until it becomes pretty consistent. Add the whiskey, and continue beating until they form crests of foam that remain suspended, then it is ready. Enjoy your meal!
Which wine to pair with brownies?
We choose the ratafia from the Praesidium cellar, a concentrate of black cherries, chocolate and spicy hints, perfect for the frontal impact with the chocolate of brownies. If you want to combine something more alcoholic and full-bodied at the alcoholic level, do not hesitate to uncork fortified wines and sweet vermouth spirits, Port wine, Marsala, Madeira wine, Sherry, Brandy, Cognac and Calvados, excellent for stemming the aromatic, aromatic strength of chocolate.
