do bakery even sell home made brownies?

pastrycake · #1 03-31-2009, 06:25 AM

I am starating to wonder if bakery or places that charge ya high dollar even make brownies from scratch anymore? Since I cannot seem to make them from myself, I pay to get some. But I soon find out that they also used girarhadelli mixes and add some stuff into it.
It get frustrated making brownies since they end up like a blob of soften chocolate. It gets expensive experimenting with the recipes. I have tried martha stewart, ina garten, alton brown. No such luck on my search to a chewy, fudgy but holds it shape and not dry out. Perhaps I do not understand the correct balance since most recipes does not have much flour but lots of chocolate and butter. thanks

chefelle · #2 03-31-2009, 06:52 AM

I own and operate a small patisserie and I make my brownies from scratch.

If you are looking for a good brownie recipe try looking in cookbooks written by professional pastry chefs. You should be able to get some at your local library. I have never tried her brownie recipe but I did make a few of Sherry Yard's recipes from Dessert by the Yard and the ones I have tried were quite good.

I'd recommend looking for a book by Jacques Torres or Francois Payard.

chefelle · #3 03-31-2009, 06:54 AM

The recipes that contain little flour and lots of chocolate and butter are meant to be fudgy brownie recipes. They come out alot like a chocolate pate and must be kept COLD, COLD, COLD in order for them not to become a soft bloblike mess.

More flour in a recipe translates into a more cakey brownie. Just depends on what you prefer.

Drying out is a pretty common problem with brownies. The easiest way to prevent this is to cut them as you plan to eat them....don't cut the whole pan at once. Perhaps one or two at a time.

m brown · #4 03-31-2009, 12:53 PM

Old NYtimes recipe was pretty good.
Otherwise, Joe Amendola's is good and cakey from The Bakers Manual - with the Devils Fudge Icing, mmmm.

Home made, as a claim from professional shops is a no-no and even with home bakeries, you cannot sell them to an outlet for resale without special licencing.

House made or Make from Scratch or Scratch baking is fine verbage.

Out of a bag of mix is not my cup of tea.

KyleW · #5 04-02-2009, 05:05 AM

I like Nick Malgieri's W. 10th St. Brownies.

treehugger057 · #6 04-03-2009, 11:29 AM

I make my brownies right out of the professional chef. (C.I.A school book)

jfield · #7 04-03-2009, 01:12 PM

If I am reading the original post correctly, it sounds like pastrycake's brownies aren't setting up. First, proteins (in the eggs and flour) will set up more quickly and better in a slightly acidic environment. If you are using Dutch process cocoa, your brownies might not be acidic enough. Try using melted chocolate or regular cocoa powder instead.

I also wonder what kind of flour you're using. Depending on where you're from, even all purpose flour can have vastly different amounts of protein. If you're in Europe or the UK, and using a recipe developed in the US, your flour is likely too weak--low in protein. See if you can find a flour w/a higher protein content than the one you are currently using.

Would love to see your recipe, if you get the chance. Good luck w/it!

pastrycake · #8 04-05-2009, 10:19 PM

Here is the closest recipe to a fudgy brownies (Ina Garten food network). It is pretty expensive to make so I would like help before trying again. After removing from the frige, I noticed that the corner of the pan had collected a lot of butter. I even ordered the professional sheet pan just for this recipe.
Thanks for any advice. I think I should cut back on the coffee since it was overpowering. My second attempt, the brownies were gritty (maybe I did not blend the sugar well enough.
Ingredients:
1 pound unsalted butter
1 pound plus 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, divided
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
6 extra-large eggs
3 tablespoons instant coffee powder
2 tablespoons real vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided (1 cup for batter and 1/4 cup in the chips and nuts)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups diced walnut pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 13 by 18 by 1 1/2-inch sheet pan.

Melt together the butter, 1 pound chocolate chips, and unsweetened chocolate on top of a double boiler. Cool slightly. Stir together the eggs, instant coffee, vanilla and sugar. Stir in the warm chocolate mixture and cool to room temperature.

Stir together 1 cup of the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to cooled chocolate mixture. Toss the walnuts and 12 ounces of chocolate chips with 1/4 cup flour to coat. Then add to the chocolate batter. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until tester just comes out clean. Halfway through the baking, rap the pan against the oven shelf to allow air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Do not over-bake! Cool thoroughly, refrigerate well and cut into squares.

jfield · #9 04-08-2009, 09:21 AM

My first thought is that you are overheating your chocolate. Bring the water up to a boil and then turn off the heat. Melt the chocolate and butter w/the residual heat, only putting it back on the burner if the chocolate truly is not melting anymore. When you add the butter/chocolate mixture to the eggs, make sure the chocolate mixture is just warm to the touch, or you might start cooking the eggs before the batter is together. If you've heated the chocolate to Very Hot and then only "cool slightly" (according to the directions), you could have chocolate that is over 140F, and that would start to cook the eggs, plus the chocolate will have scorched and the cocoa butter would have separated. So, just be careful w/the chocolate melting step.

Make sure you whisk the dry ingredients together thoroughly to evenly distribute the leavening and salt. Otherwise the procedure seems pretty straightforward. Cutting down on the coffee is no problem. Good luck with it.