Sunday, October 30, 2005

Truffle Brownies

Actually, let's call these SIN.

There is a new show on the Food Network, I can't think of the name of the show, but it is the result of a viewer participation thing...American Food Idol? The show is PARTY LINE. The hosts/chefs are this gay couple who use to be caterers.

I watched them make this decadent brownie and new I had to try it. Of course, I would have all the ingredients on hand...!

Truffle Brownies
Recipe courtesy Dan Smith and Steve McDonagh

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 8 brownies

2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 stick margarine
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate chopped
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Chocolate ganache for topping, recipe follows

Special equipment: 9-inch round foil cake pan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Using a hand held electric mixer, beat the eggs and salt together in a large mixing bowl until frothy. Add the sugar and beat until the eggs are thick and pale yellow, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and beat an additional 30 seconds.

Put the margarine and chocolate in a microwave safe container and microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir to insure that the chocolate has melted. Microwave an additional 30 seconds, if needed.

With the mixer running, pour the melted chocolate into the egg mixture. Add the flour and beat 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat an additional 30 seconds.

Spray the cake pan with a pan release spray and pour in the brownie batter. Place the pan on the top rack of the oven and bake 15 to 20 minutes until the center is barely set.* Remove the pan from the oven and let cool. Top with the ganache and place in the freezer for at least 1 hour.

To serve, remove from freezer and slice immediately. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.

*Cook's Note: If tested with a toothpick the center will still be gooey. If tested by touch, the center will be soft. It will set once frozen.

Chocolate Ganache:
1/2 cup (4 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup heavy cream

Put the chocolate chips and cream into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove the bowl and stir with a whisk or fork until well mixed. Use immediately. If using the ganache later it will need to be reheated.

Yield: 3/4 cup


SCOTT'S NOTES:
Ooops, I used chocolate chips for the brownie batter...ooops. I'm not sure how it affected the dish, outside of being way more sweet than it should have been.

I baked my brownies in a regular glass pan. I needed to bake them for an extra 5 minutes, I should have gone another 10-15.

And I used butter...why bother with margarine. I haven't had that for about 12 years.

13 comments:

Stef said...

Mmm, sounds delicious. It's funny, before I got to the end of the post I was thinking "What's your opinion on butter vs. margarine?" I see you're an all-butter guy. I think I've switched back to butter myself. I was raised on all margarine, but learning more about transfats has made me rethink it. It's all fatty and bad for you in some ways, but if you can avoid most of the transfats by using butter, why not? I'm sure they'll change the recommendations again in 2 years, but for now I'm back on creamy, rich, delicious butter.

Dancer in DC said...

That's funny, Stef - I was also raised in an all-oleo family! I think it was the result of my grandmother's lactose-intolerance. We always needed Fleischmann's around for her, and we just ended up using it. Although I think Mom would use real butter to bake with sometimes.

I am tortured because these brownies are in the freezer and I have yet to taste them - argh!

DC Food Blog said...

What's oleo?

ScottE. said...

Oleo...margarine, basically....we never called it that at home, when I was a kid, but if it was referenced elsewhere, that's what we understood it to be.

As Stef says, Margarine has been proven to be just as bad as butter...but butter tastes better....there is a reason I usually use two pounds at Thanksgiving.

As for the Brownies....I sampled them last night to see how they were...I think they were still undercooked, even though I over cooked them...they were especially gooey and not set up, except around the edges..I think they are really going to just be a vehicle to hold a scoop of ice cream!

Anonymous said...

I'm with Stef and Scotte- I'm a butter girl myself. The health benefits of using margarine are negligable at best, and butter just *tastes* so much better! Mmmm...thinking now about a hot piece of cornbread with a pat of melty butter on top...

In other news, thanks for the brownie recipe. These look extraordinary. I had planned to give home-baked goods for office Christmas/holiday gifts, so I think I'll make a "test batch" of these, to see if I can handle an entire office's worth. They sound truly decadent.
MCB

ScottE. said...

MCB, you will want to test these to see how they turn out. Mine really are more of a "spoon brownie." I would certainly bake them longer. Right on, test them!

ScottE. said...

BTW: MCB, I was cleaning this weekend and found a clipping from Gourmet Magazine. It was one of the same recipes you gave me to post during my down time!!! Made me laugh! THANKS Again.

Dancer in DC said...

We never called it oleo at home - I think it was a shorthand word to use in recipes. Four letters are just easier to fit on a recipe card. :)

It's weird when I go home and there's margarine on the table. The one thing I'll say for it (the only thing really) is the spreadability even if it's cold.

Dancer in DC said...

OK - so the report is these turned out more like a fudge than brownies. So do test this recipe before planning on taking them into the office!

Anonymous said...

Scotte, great minds think alike! Was it the stew?? I actually made that last night; instead of Cabernet Sauvignon that the recipe calls for, I used the only red I had lying around: a Meritage from Rappahannock Cellars in VA. Turned out great, and there is nothing like cooking while sipping a glass of fine wine.
MCB

ScottE. said...

Yep, the Beef Stew with Red Wine and Hoisin! I saw where I read about the pin feathers...the new Rachel Ray magazine...that was the "downside" of kosher birds.

Let me know how the dressing/stuffing goes? Sounds tasty good.

ScottE. said...

Outside of the divine taste, I consider these "brownies" a failure. Will try again some day. If you try them, please let me know how they turn out!

ScottE. said...

I figured out the problem. I used glass for the baking dish. Duh! Glass is an insulator, so the heat didn't get in. I figured this out by making popping fresh biscuits this morning (sun.) and it took twice as long before they were done. Aha! Now I'll have to try these again with a regular pan or a foil one as the original recipe recommended.