There’s no better time for maximalist brownies – The Denver Post

By Melissa Clark, The New York Times

In the vast and varied world of brownie recipes, there are the minimalist versions: pure expressions without nuts, chips or icing nigh. Then, there are the maximalist takes, stuffed to their fudgy edges with all manner of sugary excess.

To be sure, my grown-up instincts appreciate the nuances of the more understated iterations. But the rest of my pandemic-weary soul cries out for indulgence: Make mine as gooey, chewy and opulently embellished as they can be.

And so, I developed these brownie recipes to satisfy the depths of my chocolaty desire, in three distinct ways: salted, nutty and candy bar inspired.

The salted pretzel brownies are the most restrained of the lot, built on the technique of sprinkling a little flaky salt at the end to make brownies’ bittersweet nature pop. Here, salty pretzels work in a similar way, adding crunch and a toasty character alongside a saline zing. If you can, try to find small pretzels for the topping, which look particularly adorable all lined up like twisted hearts across the crackled brownie surface.

Because a pretzel topping by itself wouldn’t qualify as truly maximalist (in my mind, at least), I’ve also tucked a graham cracker and crushed pretzel crust beneath the brownie batter, giving the bars cookielike appeal run through with salted caramel notes.

The inspiration for the next brownie variation began with the coconut heart of a Mounds bar. But as I experimented, I realized that the difference between a homemade Mounds bar filling and a classic coconut macaroon is mostly in the ratio of sweetened condensed milk to coconut flakes. For these brownies, I added just enough of the syrupy milk to bind the coconut, then plopped scoops of them in “mounds” on top of the batter. Part cookie, part candy, they are over the top in the very best way.

And finally, I crossed brownies with pecan pie to come up with my last recipe. The brownie part is at the base, a dense, fudgy replacement for the usual flaky crust. Then, the pecans and all their glorious, honeyed goo rest on top, baking up into a shiny, crunchy blanket that looks a lot more subtle than it tastes.

Subtlety, after all, is not the point of any of these confections, which are as exuberantly joyful as brownies can be, just when we need them the most.

Recipe: Coconut Macaroon Brownies

Yield: 16 brownies

Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients

For the Brownies:

  • 1/2 cup /115 grams unsalted butter (1 stick), plus more for greasing the pan
  • 4 ounces/115 grams unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped or broken up
  • 1 1/4 cups/250 grams sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup/65 grams all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/4 cup/45 grams mini or regular chocolate chips (optional)

For the Coconut Mounds:

  • 2 cups/170 grams sweetened shredded coconut
  • 1/2 cup/120 milliliters sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 egg white
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of fine sea salt
  • Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter an 8-inch square metal baking pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving about 2 inches of excess on each side to help you lift the cooked brownies out of the pan.

2. Make the brownies: Put butter and chocolate into a medium pot and place it over low heat. Melt the mixture, taking care not to let the chocolate burn and stirring constantly with a rubber spatula until smooth. Scrape chocolate mixture into a large bowl and mix in the sugar. Let mixture cool until it’s just warm to the touch, about 5 minutes.

3. Whisk eggs into cooled chocolate mixture. Whisk in flour, cocoa powder, vanilla and salt. Mix in chocolate chips, if using. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth it into an even layer. Set aside.

4. Make the coconut mounds: In a medium bowl, combine shredded coconut, condensed milk, egg white, vanilla and fine sea salt. Using a rubber spatula, mix until well combined. Using a small ice cream scoop or a tablespoon, drop 16 evenly spaced mounds of the coconut mixture, in 4 by 4 rows, onto the brownie batter.

5. Sprinkle top lightly with flaky sea salt. Bake until the coconut mounds are golden brown and the brownie top is set and firm to touch, especially in the center, 25 to 35 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely before cutting into 16 squares.

Recipe: Pecan Pie Brownies

Yield: 16 brownies

Total time: 1 1/4 hours

Ingredients

For the Brownies:

  • 1/2 cup/115 grams unsalted butter (1 stick), plus more for greasing the pan
  • 4 ounces/115 grams unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped or broken up
  • 1 1/4 cups/250 grams sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 cup/130 grams all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/4 cup/45 grams mini or regular chocolate chips (optional)

For the Pecan Layer:

  • 6 tablespoons/85 grams unsalted butter (3/4 stick), melted
  • 1/4 cup/60 milliliters honey
  • 1/4 cup/55 grams light or dark brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 cups/200 grams toasted pecan halves, coarsely chopped
  • Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter an 8-inch square metal baking pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving about 2 inches of excess on each side to help you lift the cooked brownies out of the pan.

2. Make the brownies: Put butter and chocolate into a medium pot and place it over low heat. Melt the mixture, taking care not to let the chocolate burn and stirring constantly with a rubber spatula until smooth. Scrape chocolate mixture into a large bowl and mix in the sugar. Let mixture cool until it’s just warm to the touch, about 5 minutes.

3. Whisk eggs into cooled chocolate mixture. Whisk in flour, cocoa powder, vanilla and salt. Mix in chocolate chips, if using. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth it into an even layer. Set aside.

4. Make the pecan layer: In a medium bowl, whisk together butter, honey, brown sugar, heavy cream and fine sea salt. Fold in pecans until well coated.

5. Pour pecan mixture in an even layer on top of the brownie batter. Sprinkle the top lightly with flaky sea salt. Bake until the top is set and firm to touch, especially in the center, 45 to 55 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely before cutting into 16 squares.

Recipe: Salted Pretzel Brownies

Yield: 16 brownies

Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients

For the Crust:

  • 1/2 cup/115 grams unsalted butter (1 stick), melted, plus more for greasing the pan
  • 1 cup/120 grams graham cracker crumbs (from about 7 graham cracker sheets)
  • 1/2 cup/30 grams finely crushed pretzels
  • 1 egg white

For the Brownies:

  • 1/2 cup/115 grams unsalted butter (1 stick)
  • 4 ounces/115 grams unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped or broken up
  • 1 1/4 cups/250 grams sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup/65 grams all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/3 cup/60 grams mini or regular chocolate chips (optional)
  • Small whole pretzels, for topping the brownies

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter an 8-inch square metal baking pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving about 2 inches of excess on each side to help you lift the cooked brownies out of the pan.

2. Make the crust: In a food processor, combine butter, graham cracker crumbs, crushed pretzels and egg white. Process until mixture is well blended. Transfer to prepared pan and press crumb mixture into an even layer on the bottom. Bake until deeply browned at the edges, about 14 to 17 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool.

3. Make the brownies: Raise oven temperature to 400 degrees. Put butter and chocolate into a medium pot and place it over low heat. Melt the mixture, taking care not to let the chocolate burn and stirring constantly with a rubber spatula until smooth. Scrape chocolate mixture into a large bowl and mix in the sugar. Let mixture cool until it’s just warm to the touch, about 5 minutes.

4. Whisk eggs into cooled chocolate mixture. Whisk in flour, cocoa powder, vanilla and salt. Mix in chocolate chips, if using.

5. Scrape batter into an even layer on top of the crust. Top with pretzels and bake until the top is set and firm to touch, especially in the center, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely before cutting into 16 squares.

Source: Read Full Article

Previous post Ibiza Weekender contestant, 21, missing for days is found miles away from home
Next post For Some Teens, It’s Been a Year of Anxiety and Trips to the E.R.