Gidget Roots - Journey Through Family Recipes - Episode 20: Rich Brownies

  MINI SERIES: Twelve Recipes of Christmas - Recipe 4: RICH BROWNIES

 Rich brownies – how delightful they sound! One of the many struggles throughout our culinary journey through the cuisines of my ancestors has been the measurements and inconsistencies. This recipe brought a new founded problem – packaging and availability differences from times long ago to what is available now. This recipe calls for Baker’s chocolate, the measurement – seemingly straight forward – 3 squares. However, did you know that there are different varieties and shapes of said chocolate? I for one only found the bars of Baker’s chocolate and figured “they must be in squares 2 per pack” right (to make the rectangle? Stay with me!) Wrong – I open the chocolate to find myself staring at a troubling site of Hershey chocolate style Lego block shaped segments melded into the full bar. 

 

When in doubt, I turn to my great-aunties who always are great problem-solving sleuths ready for any challenge. Three pieces was the assessment based on what we had to go from, so I broke the chocolate down to harvest the three chocolate “squares” from the bar. Once I had the three segments separated from the pack, I felt that instinctual ancestral whisper that has helped guide me on the journey say it wasn’t enough. So, I broke off a few more squares. 

 Once the chocolate conundrum had been addressed, I turned my attention to the batter.

 Cream together the Crisco, eggs, and sugar. Check. Setting that aside, it was now time to melt the chocolate over a double boiler, stirring often so as not to burn the chocolate (what a waste of chocolate that would be!).   

While the chocolate was melting, I mixed together the dry ingredients in a separate smaller bowl. 

 Time to pour that chocolate fountain of delectable goodness into the creamed egg, Crisco, sugar mixture and stirred it together gently. 

 

This part was soothing for some reason I loved seeing the two different contrasts mix, meld, and combine into a harmonious goop of delight. 

Then slowly add in the dry ingredients making sure to mix thoroughly and scraping the sides so no morsel gets left behind. 

Next I added some vanilla and chopped walnuts and folded it in. 

 

 Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho it’s off to grease we go (the pan not the country) using the Crisco wrapper I spread a layer of protection across the baking pan and then dusted with Hershey Cocoa powder. The recipe calls to flour the pan, however my maternal great-grandmother taught me to use Cocoa powder for chocolate or darker cakes because it will help prevent the flour dusting showing up on the completed dish. Fun fact! 

 

 Pretty sure the recipe then said to “pour” the batter into the baking pan. Again, I really am beginning to develop an aversion to this word because unless it is a thin batter or liquid, I personally have the opinion that it is not the best selection of word choice for this task. 

Once I plopped the decadent batter into the pan, I had to carefully slather and spread the batter out evenly, careful not to make too many topographical changes to what hopefully becomes a uniform pan of brownies will be.  Into the oven they went and baked. Before the timer even alerted their journey’s end, scents of deep chocolate sweetness permeated our apartment. My husband even stopped in to check to see if they were done. Almost, but not quite yet.  Once the timer went off, out they came to rest and cool long enough to set. 

 

Now it was time for a taste test. 100% approval rating from both my husband and I. 

 The original recipe includes a frosting for the brownies, but after looking to see how much powdered sugar was to be used we decided against it. After-all, we had how many more recipes to go in the 12 recipes of Christmas challenge plus two holiday meals ahead of us? We were okay to forego the frosting this time and enjoy the simplicity and deep deliciousness of the brownies on their own. 

NEXT EPISODE - MINI SERIES CONT.: Twelve Recipes of Christmas #5 "Grandma Laverne's Goulash"

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ORIGINAL RECIPE

RICH BROWNIES

 Ingredients: 

3/4 cup Crisco (use regular Crisco)            1 1/2 cups sugar

3 eggs                                                            3 squares Bakers semi-sweet chocolate (melted) 

1 cup of flour                                            1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt                                                    1 tsp of vanilla

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Put the chocolate on to melt (I put the chocolate squares in my Pyrex measuring cup - put the cup in a pan of water. Turn the burner on low. Don't let the water boil and stir continuously). Blend the Crisco, sugar and eggs. Stir in melted chocolate. Add the dry ingredients and mix well. Add the vanilla and chopped walnuts. Spread in a 10x10x2 greased and floured pan. You can also use an 8x8x2 pan (for thicker brownies). Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 25 - 30 minutes. Test with a toothpick. Cool and frost*

(*optional)

FROSTING

2 squares melted chocolate

2 Tablespoons butter or oleo

1 Tablespoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3 Tablespoons cream or half & half

Melt the chocolate. Combine the butter and powdered sugar in a mixing bowl. (I use my electric beaters. Put your bowl in the sink - the powdered sugar will fly). Add half and half and beat well. (You may need to add more half & half). When mixed well, add vanilla and melted chocolate. (The chocolate will thicken the powdered sugar mix. Add more half & half if needed). Mix well and spread on cooled brownies.