BROWNIES-1(D)            USENET Cookbook            BROWNIES-1(D)

DOUBLE-FROSTED BROWNIES

     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
     2 oz      unsweetened chocolate (2 squares)
     1/4 lb    butter
     2         eggs (large)
     1 cup     sugar
     1 tsp     vanilla extract
     1/2 cup   flour
     1/4 tsp   salt
     1/2 cup   chopped nuts (walnuts are traditional)
          FIRST FROSTING
     1 1/2 cups
               sugar
     1/3 cup   butter
     1/2 cup   half-and-half (also called light cream)
     1 tsp     vanilla extract
          SECOND FROSTING
     3 oz      unsweetened chocolate (3 squares)

PROCEDURE
          (1)  Pre-heat oven to 350 deg. F.

          (2)  Melt 2 oz 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 1 cup 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 11x7 inch pan that
               is 1 1/2 inch 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 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1/3 cup butter, and 1/2 cup
               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 236 deg. F 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 1 tsp 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 3 oz 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
     Path: decwrl!recipes
     From: ed@mtxinu.uucp (Ed Gould)
     Newsgroups: alt.gourmand
     Subject: RECIPE: Serious chocolate brownies
     Message-ID: 
     Date: 6 Nov 87 06:15:20 GMT
     Sender: recipes@decwrl.DEC.COM
     Distribution: alt
     Organization: mt Xinu, Berkeley, California, USA
     Lines: 59
     Approved: reid@decwrl.dec.com

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