Tuesdays with Dorie: Quintuple Chocolate Brownies

This is week 2 of Tuesdays with Dorie. Last week, we tackled the Brown Sugar-Pecan Shortbread Cookies. They didnt turn out so well. I had high hopes that this week’s recipe, picked by Michelle of Sugar and Spice, would turn out better. We also picked up April of Abby Sweets to join us, as we work our way through Baking: From My Home to Yours.

This week the recipe is Quintuple Chocolate Brownies. I decided to use mixed nuts(pecans, cashews and pistachios). I used a bar of Cadbury dairy milk for the milk chocolate portion. And for the white chocolate, Im all out after Cupcake Hero: Mint testing. So, I used the mocha chips I had on hand. Which is basically white chocolate with mocha flavoring.

All in all, the recipe went off without a hitch. I think they were a tad undercooked, even though I let them in 5 minutes longer than called for. They are more the consistency of fudge than a brownie. That may be intentional. There are a lot of flavors going on in these brownies. They are a deep chocolate flavor. Rich, rich rich. The mocha on top turned out perfect. The mixed nuts were a welcomed change from the norm of walnuts that I usually put into brownies. Jaos LOVEs them. And he normally does not like undercooked anything. The kids wont touch them because of the nuts. Im grateful its only a half pan instead of a 9×13. I wouldnt want them to go to waste, but, my waistline does not need a tray of wicked good, sinful brownies right now. I have packed them up for Jaos to take to work tomorrow. I have to get them out of my house, STAT!

This recipe is a keeper. I consider it a designer brownie, meant to impress. Not for everyday munchies. Check out how Michelle and April did too!

Quintuple Chocolate Brownies

Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

For the Brownies

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

3 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons strong coffee

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

6 ounces premium-quality milk chocolate, chopped into chips, or 1 cup store-bought milk chocolate chips

1 cup chopped nuts

For the Glaze

6 ounces premium-quality white chocolate, finely chopped, or 1 cup store-bought white chocolate chips

1/3 heavy cream

Getting Ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with foil, butter the foil and place the pan on a baking sheet.

Sift together the flour, cocoa and salt.

To Make the Brownies: Set a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and add, in the following order, the butter, the two chocolates and the coffee. Keeping the pan over low heat, warm just until the butter and the chocolates are melted– you don’t want the ingredients to separate, so keep an eye on the bowl. Stir gently, and when the mixture is smooth, set it aside for 5 minutes.

Using a whisk or a rubber spatula, beat the sugar into the chocolate mixture. Don’t beat too vigorously– you don’t want to add air to the batter– and don’t be concerned about any graininess. Next, stir the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla. You should have a smooth, glossy batter. If your not already using a rubber spatula, switch to one now and gently stir in the dry ingredients, mixing only until they are incorporated. Finally, stir in the milk chocolate chips and nuts. Scrape the batter into the pan.

Bake for 35 minutes, or until a think knife inserted into the center comes out streaked but not thickly coated. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and let the brownies rest undisturbed for at least 30 minutes. (You can wait longer if you’d like.)

Turn the brownies out onto a rack, peel away the foil and place it under another rack–it will be the drip catcher for the glaze. Invert the brownies onto the rack and let cool completely.

To Make the Glaze: Put the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring the heavy cream to a boil and pour it over the chocolate. Wait 30 seconds, then, using a rubber spatula, gently stir until the chocolate is melted.and the glaze is smooth.

Hold a long metal icing spatula in one hand the bowl of glaze in the other. Pour the glaze onto the center of the brownies and use the spatula to nudge it evenly over the surface. Don’t worry if it dribbles over the edges, you can trim the sides later (or not). Refrigerate the brownies for about 20 minutes to dry the glaze.

Cut into 16 squares, each roughly 2 1/4 inches on a side.