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Recipes for Shabbat Brownies By Eileen Goltz Now that Pesach is over I can get back to writing about recipes that don't begin with the words "matzo" or "matzo meal" and end with the words "will sit like a bowing ball in you stomach for the next 10 years" I always want to bake something quick and easy as soon a I turn my kitchen back to normal so my first choice is usually the ever popular (and easy to make) brownie. Baking lore has it that, back in the 1920s, the first brownies were actually a fallen chocolate cake that some enterprising chef had the good sense to serve anyway. Whatever their origin I for one, am indebted of the genius who discovered the concept and the dozens of variations that the original recipe inspired. A classic brownie is usually a dense fudge like creation that can be served with or without frosting. However, the more cake like brownie and a "non" chocolate brownie (often called a blond brownie) are just as popular as the classic brownie. The following recipes are some of my personal favorites and include one or two given to me by friends who are amazing cooks in their own right. BANANA NUT BROWNIES (dairy or pareve)
Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9X9 square baking pan. In a bowl, combine the butter, sugar, and cocoa. Mix well to combine. Stir in the eggs, milk, and vanilla. Blend in the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in bananas and nuts. Pour into the prepared baking pan. Bake at 350 for 40 - 45 min. Let cool to room temperature before cutting. Serves 6 to 8. DAN'S AMAZING BROWNIES (dairy or pareve)
This dense cake like brownie is even better the second day. Don't even think about frosting these brownies, it would ruin them. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 13" x 9" baking pan. In a saucepan combine the butter and chocolate and melt over a low heat (you can use the microwave), let the mixture cool and then add the eggs and mix well. In a bowl combine the sugar and flour, mix well then add the flour mixture to the chocolate. Mix slightly then add the vanilla, salt and nuts. Mix to combine. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool to room temperature before, dusting with powdered sugar. Serves 10 to 12. An elegant dessert that's a cross between a cheesecake and a brownie
Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8" or 9" square pan. In a saucepan melt the chocolate with 3 tablespoons of butter over very low heat, stirring constantly until smooth. Remove the mixture from the heat and set aside, With an electric mixer combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter with the cream cheese and beat until smooth. Add 1/4 cup of sugar to the cream cheese mixture, creaming until light and fluffy. Add 1 egg, 1 tablespoon of flour and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla and mix until smooth. Set the mixture aside. In another bowl combine the remaining 2 eggs and beat until light and frothy. Gradually beat in 3/4 cup sugar, continue beating until thickened. Stir in the baking powder, salt and 1/2 cup flour, Add the chocolate mixture and mix until just combined. Stir in the nuts and vanilla. Spread half of the chocolate batter into the prepared pan. Spread cheese mixture over the top. Drop remaining chocolate batter by tablespoonfuls over the top of the cream cheese mixture. Swirl through batter with a spatula for a marbleized effect. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature before trying to cut. Serves 8 to 10 PEPPERMINT PATTY BROWNIES (dairy)
Preheat oven to 350, if using a glass pan preheat to 325. Grease 13" x 9" baking pan. In large bowl combine the melted butter, sugar and vanilla. Mix well and then add the eggs. Stir until well blended. Add the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt and then mix until combined. Spread half of the batter into the prepared pan. Arrange the peppermint patties in single layer over batter in the pan, about 1/2" apart. Spread the remaining batter over the top of the peppermint patties. Bake 50-55 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on wire rack; cut into squares. Serves 8 to 10 WALNUT BROWNIE PIE (dairy or pareve) This decadent moist chocolate pie is as close to the perfect dessert when you serve it with a scoop of coffee ice cream 1 pre cooked 9" pie shell (use your favorite recipe or store bought) Filling:
Preheat to 400. In a sauce pan combine the butter, chocolate and coffee and cook over low heat stirring until everything is melted and smooth. Remove the mixture from the heat and cool to room temperature. In another bowl combine the sugar and eggs and using electric mixer beat until thick and glossy. Stir the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture making sure not to over mix. Add the flour, salt and cinnamon. Mix to combine and then add the walnuts and stir until just combined. Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust. Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake until top forms crust and filling rises around edges but still moves in center when pan is shaken, about 30 minutes. Transfer the pie to wire rack and cool at least 4 hours. Great served with ice cream. Serves 6 to 8.
Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9" X 13" baking pan and set it aside. In a bowl combine the sugar and eggs. Beat until combined and then add the melted margarine. In another bowl sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add the flour mixture to the margarine mixture and mix to just combine. Add the vanilla then the nuts if you are using them. Spread the mixture into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the butterscotch chips on top of batter. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Cover these when you take them out of the oven and they will stay soft! Serves 8 to 10. Eileen Goltz, a professional chef and caterer, is the author of the new cookbook, Perfectly Pareve. © Eileen Goltz 2002 |
