TWD: French Chocolate Brownies
It’s brownie week here at Crazy Delicious Food! Actually, it’s not, I made the brownie cookies a few weeks ago and just finally got around to uploading them. When I finally did get them uploaded yesterday I was craving me some brownies and lucky me, this week TWD was all about brownies. W00t
Before I tell you how delish these brownies are let me first tell you about my dishes I make brownies in. I strongly believe that brownies MUST be eaten with ice cream. There are no if ands or buts about it, a warm brownie with vanilla ice cream is pure and total heaven. The problem with cutting off a square of brownie and dumping ice cream on top is that you lose ice cream and that’s just not right on any level. So, I randomly found these adorable little oven safe dishes that are perfect for brownies and I have used them every time I’ve made brownies since that first wonderful time. They hold all the ice cream in and are the perfect single size servings. I think everyone should run out and buy something similar.
Now that my PSA is over, ya these brownies are fab. They kinda remind me of the fudge gateau (that I just happened to pick for TWD), but I made them so long ago they could be a little different than I remember. Who knows, what I do know is that I love these brownies and plan to force G to eat the whole pan so I don’t. My one recommendation is don’t try them with blackberry ice cream. It sounded like a good combo, but I was mistaken (I’m never wrong).
Recipe after the break
French Chocolate Brownies
- makes 16 brownies -
Adapted from Baking From My Home to Yours.
Ingredients
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
1/3 cup raisins, dark or golden
1 1/2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 tablespoons dark rum
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons; 6 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into 12 pieces
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
Getting ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 300°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil, butter the foil, place the pan on a baking sheet, and set aside.
Whisk together the flour, salt and cinnamon, if you’re using it.
Put the raisins in a small saucepan with the water, bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until the water almost evaporates. Add the rum, let it warm for about 30 seconds, turn off the heat, stand back and ignite the rum. Allow the flames to die down, and set the raisins aside until needed.
Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Slowly and gently melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and add the butter, stirring so that it melts. It’s important that the chocolate and butter not get very hot. However, if the butter is not melting, you can put the bowl back over the still-hot water for a minute. If you’ve got a couple of little bits of unmelted butter, leave them—it’s better to have a few bits than to overheat the whole. Set the chocolate aside for the moment.
Working with a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until they are thick and pale, about 2 minutes. Lower the mixer speed and pour in the chocolate-butter, mixing only until it is incorporated—you’ll have a thick, creamy batter. Add the dry ingredients and mix at low speed for about 30 seconds—the dry ingredients won’t be completely incorporated and that’s fine. Finish folding in the dry ingredients by hand with a rubber spatula, then fold in the raisins along with any liquid remaining in the pan.
Scrape the batter into the pan and bake 50 to 60 minutes, or until the top is dry and crackled and a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and allow the brownies to cool to warm or room temperature.
Carefully lift the brownies out of the pan, using the foil edges as handles, and transfer to a cutting board. With a long-bladed knife, cut the brownies into 16 squares, each roughly 2 inches on a side, taking care not to cut through the foil.
Serving: The brownies are good just warm or at room temperature; they’re even fine cold. I like these with a little something on top or alongside—good go-alongs are whipped crème fraiche or whipped cream, ice cream or chocolate sauce or even all three!
Storing: Wrapped well, these can be kept at room temperature for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
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June 3rd, 2008 at 5:05 am
Your tikki monkey is so cute! He looks like he’s hungry for some brownie-ice cream too
Love the individual brownie dishes. Must.buy.some.NOW!
/Clara
CBs last blog post..Shrimp Pad Thai
June 3rd, 2008 at 5:09 am
You have no idea what I had to do to get my tiki monkey. We went out for my Mom’s bday last weekend and I had to drink the nastiest coconut drink to get it. My Mom who just started drinking for the first time in her life at 53 was smart enough to whine and get something else in it
June 3rd, 2008 at 5:19 am
I am sure tiki monkey appreciates what you did to take him home. He’s totally adorable. Agreed about coconut milk. I am not a fan drinking it straight up.
CBs last blog post..Shrimp Pad Thai
June 3rd, 2008 at 5:30 am
oh there was booze mixed in but it was still gross
June 3rd, 2008 at 11:42 am
Kudos to you! You drank a disgusting drink to get a fab tiki monkey! I would have been right there with you for that! Love the brownies with ice cream and love the dishes where did you get them?
June 3rd, 2008 at 1:45 pm
I love your brownie dishes. They’re so cute. I served mine with Green and Black’s organic vanilla ice cream and they were gorgeous! You may not have liked teh blackberry ice cream, but they look gorgeous nonetheless!
Maries last blog post..Allo’ Allo’
June 3rd, 2008 at 1:58 pm
[...] ATTN TWD June 3, 2008 at 8:58 am | In Uncategorized | Brownies are posted here [...]
June 3rd, 2008 at 2:53 pm
Marie I got them at Target. They were like $1 each give or take a little.
June 3rd, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Love the dishes! The blackberry icecream looks great topped on the brownie, even though you didn’t like it!
aprils last blog post..TWD-French Chocolate Brownies
June 3rd, 2008 at 3:35 pm
Looks good.
June 3rd, 2008 at 5:03 pm
Oh good lord, what a good idea. Your individual baking dishes are inspirational.
rainbowbrowns last blog post..TWD French Chocolate Brownies
June 3rd, 2008 at 7:09 pm
Those little dishes are so cute and make your brownies look even more scrumptious!
Mary Anns last blog post..TWD-Madeleines
June 3rd, 2008 at 8:40 pm
Love the cute dishes, I like anything that is not a ‘regular’ brownie pan…! BTW like the new (I think it’s new?!) header treatment.
Maras last blog post..TWD: French Raspberry Chocolate Brownie Tarts
June 3rd, 2008 at 8:40 pm
and ummm OMG I love this comment luv thing. must get.
Maras last blog post..TWD: French Raspberry Chocolate Brownie Tarts
June 3rd, 2008 at 8:43 pm
That blackberry ice cream looks amazing! Is it homemade?!
Maris last blog post..TWD - French Chocolate Brownies
June 3rd, 2008 at 8:53 pm
The ice-cream looks fab! Love the colour of it
June 3rd, 2008 at 10:09 pm
I was wondering what kind of ice cream that could be!
Great little dishes you have there!
Carries last blog post..TWD: French Chocolate Brownies
June 3rd, 2008 at 10:59 pm
I love the individual dishes of brownie. Sounds like a fantastic idea to me. Gotta love inexpensive finds at Target.
Dis last blog post..The raisin lovers meet the chocoholics (TWD)
June 3rd, 2008 at 11:55 pm
Duh, everybody knows you should’ve used french vanilla ice cream. The drinking has left you confused and easilly swayed by bad ice cream choices, you must now come bake for me to make up for your failing. Oh fine, and your brownies are the best!
Lemon Tartlets last blog post..TWD : French Chocolate Brownies
June 4th, 2008 at 1:09 am
Well, I love those individual dishes too! Just wait, next time TWDers bake brownies, we’re all baking them in cute little individual dishes! lol! Your brownies look decadent!
LyBs last blog post..Tuesdays With Dorie - French Chocolate Brownies
June 4th, 2008 at 1:31 am
Love your idea of baking the brownies in individual pans. Well done!
Michelle from Bakens last blog post..TWD French Chocolate Brownie
June 4th, 2008 at 3:48 am
What a great idea! I love your little dishes. They look adorable! I firmly agree with you on the ice cream issue too.
Susan at Sticky,Gooey,Creamy,Chewys last blog post..TWD: French Chocolate Brownies
June 4th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
Love the dishes! The blackberry icecream looks amazing!
Briannas last blog post..TWD: French Brownies And A Sweet Farewell
June 4th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
I love the little dishes! And you got them at Target? Hmmm…there’s one not to far from me.
June 4th, 2008 at 5:19 pm
Your brownies and ice cream look fabulous! That monkey is darn cute too!
June 5th, 2008 at 2:23 am
Love the brownie pans, and I’m with you on ice cream and brownies!
Sharis last blog post..Sauce Espagnole and Demi-glace (Basic brown sauces)
June 5th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
What an awesome idea to make your brownies in dishes like that so you can scoop on ice cream and it won’t get away! I bet my boyfriend would love that. I’ll have to keep an eye out for those dishes.
June 6th, 2008 at 6:37 pm
I’m all for economic stimulation… where can I find your cute little brownie dishes?
Doloress last blog post..TWD - Fussy French Brownies
June 7th, 2008 at 1:41 am
Love those brownie dishes; they look perfect.
Your brownies look delish too!! What kind of ice cream did you use??
Christinas last blog post..Skillet Shrimp and Sausage
June 9th, 2008 at 4:48 am
Warm brownies with ice cream is one of my most favorite things in the world! I love it when the melted ice cream just begins to seep into the brownie, but not so much that it gets mushy.
Anyway, this is a good excuse to try out the Vanilla Rice Dream ice cream. Then I need to try a gluten free version of these brownies. I guess I know what I’m doing tomorrow afternoon!
Was it you or C who posted the all edges brownie pan? I still need one of those!
Dawns last blog post..WooHoo! Success…back in the game!
June 9th, 2008 at 8:20 pm
mmmmm blackberry ice cream. wonderful! they are kinda like the gateau, but lighter i think
Jaimes last blog post..The Ultimate Comfort Food
August 7th, 2008 at 9:33 am
Thanks for articles, I have searched blog same this since long time
August 21st, 2008 at 9:22 am
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May 9th, 2010 at 9:54 pm
I am so loving this recipe! I can’t believe it I just found this blog! I hope you are having a perfect Mother’s Day because this recipe will make mine today. I will definitely make my mother a French Chocolate Brownies..Thanks for sharing. There are also more choco brownies recipe at Foodista (http://www.foodista.com/), check it out sometime.