Quintuple Chocolate Brownies

Baking: From My Home to Yours is one of my favorite cookbooks. In fact, Dorie Greenspan and I are BFFs. If you don't believe me check this out Do you see that right below the last picture? Having Dorie comment on my blog ranks right up in great days of my life, just behind the birth of my Dyson vaccuum cleaner and my wedding day, in that order. :)

These brownies are great! Heavy on the fudginess and light on the cakiness. I think I will omit the nuts altogether next time and maybe add some white chocolate chips or Andes mints, instead.

Quintuple Chocolate Brownies
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Source: Baking: From My Home to Yours

For the Brownies:
1/2 cup all- purpose flour
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ tsp salt
1 stick (8 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 T strong coffee
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 ounces premium- milk chocolate, chopped into chips, or 1 cup store-bought milk choc. chips
1 cup chopped nuts (your choice)

FOR THE GLAZE:
6 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped, or 1 cup store- bought white chocolate chips
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:

1. Getting Ready: Center a rack in the oven, and preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a 9-inch baking pan with foil, butter the foil and place the pan on a baking sheet. Sift together the flour, cocoa and salt.

2. 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 chocolates are melted- you don't want the ingredients to get so hot they separate, so keep an eye on the bowl. Stir gently, and when the mixture is smooth, set it aside for 5 minutes.

3. 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 in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla. You should have a smooth, glossy batter. If you're 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 the nuts. Scrape the batter into the pan.

4. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until a thin 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. Invert the brownies onto the rack and let cool completely.

5. 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. ( Please see my recommended changes)

6. Hold a long metal icing spatula in one hand and 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 at least 30 minutes, or until the glaze is firm.

Recommended changes: I lost a lot of my glaze when adding it to the top of brownies as instructed. Next time, I would place them back into the pan, or not take them out, and add the glaze with the brownies still in it. This would keep the glaze from oozing all over the place and making me sad. I hate sad.