Chocolate - Chocolate Chip Brownies

Brownies are the perfect food to bite into when you are feeling blue. Brownies make some people blush pink or even red. I know coz it sometimes happens to me. Brownies can also be considered a green food because they are never really thrown in the trash or not consumed. No matter what color brownies remind you of, they are one of the perfect snacks around. I’m yet to see or meet or hear about someone who has not liked a brownie after they've eaten it.

There is also a certain way to make any brownie a perfect brownie. Just heat it up for about 15 seconds in the microwave and get the center warm and gooey. And then there’s no stopping the goodness. To make it more sinful, one can top it off with a scoop of their favorite flavor of ice cream and further drizzle with some chocolate goodness.  And when that happens, sparks fly and there is a love affair between the brownie and its devourer. 

And if you’re there already, go ahead add that cherry on top and make it all worthwhile. 

And when is not a good reason to bake brownies? Never. This time around, my reason to bake these babies was the teacher appreciation week at school. And of course, I had to bake something for Sweet Punch team as well. So, it was double whammy this time.

This is an easy recipe and from the Bon Appetite Dessert book. The original recipe calls to add raisins and almonds to the batter. I skipped the raisins but added the almonds and some chocolate chips - both milk and white chocolate chips. This is a recipe that will be great with any kind of nuts - almonds, walnuts, peanuts.

The recipe goes like this -

2/3 cup unbleached all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1/3 cup semi sweet or milk chocolate morsels

1/3 cup white chocolate morsels 

Mix the flour, 1 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt and mix together and set aside.

These were the little unsweetened baking chocolate that I used. These provide a really chocolatey flavor but the down side is that the melted chocolate is not something you can lick off the bowl - just ask my little one about how sad she was. 

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or you can use a small pan with water and just place a mixing bowl with the chocolate on top.

Melt the chocolate and while its melting, you can just stand there admiring the soft gooeyness of the chocolate.

Cool down the chocolate a little bit and add two eggs and whisk together well.

Once the eggs are whisked well, add 1 tsp vanilla extract to the chocolate-egg mixture.

In a mixing bowl, add the room temperature butter and 1 cup of sugar. I do have to tell you that if you like really sweet brownies, add a little more sugar. These brownies were not too sweet and they were just the right amount of sweetness. In fact, I could taste the bitterness of the baking chocolate every now and then - this is the perfect kind of brownie that would go great with a cup of strong hot coffee.

Mix together until the butter and sugar together are fluffy together.

Add the chocolate egg mixture to the butter sugar mixture and mix well together.

Now does the batter not look delicious?

Slowly add the dry flour mix in a little at at time and keep mixing in low - medium speed.

When the batter is done, add a handful or about 1/3 cup of chopped almonds.

Add 1/3 cup of milk chocolate chips. Save a few to press down at the top.

Press down another 1/3 cup of white chocolate chips.

Bake in a pre heated oven at 350F for about 20-25 mins or until the toothpick test passes.

Slice them up warm and don't wait for other to taste. Sometimes selfishness is good.

There is only one thing greater in life than having one hot brownie from the oven. And what is that? Well, eating two of the hot brownies from the oven.

So I packed up a few for the teachers..I do appreciate teachers a lot. I respect the profession and I know that I cannot ever do that in a million years. So, here's to all the wonderful and patient teachers all over the world!

So, brownie up today and enjoy the experience.

Oh brownie -  how I love thee.

Enjoy. Peace Out!