Recipe Testing Day is a beautiful thing – researching recipes, experimenting with different ratios of essentially the same ingredients, comparing results side by side, using someone else’s kitchen, (better still, having someone else do the dishes), and inviting every curious nose poked through the door to come in and have a taste.
There’s no downside – and if you get paid to do it, it’s a foodie-nerd’s nirvana. Well, last Wednesday was Brownie Testing Day at the chateau – anyone who wanted to get in on the fun brought in recipes to try out. Turns out, Kurt and I were the only ones that wanted any fun that day and between the two of us, nine very different sheetpans of brownies came out of the oven. And of course, credit goes to our executive chef, Janet, who lets us pretend a couple of days a year that we work at America’s Test Kitchen.
I thought I’d pass along the recipes and results of Brownie Day. Since there were many tasters and of course they all had an opinion, it was difficult to know exactly how to list them. First of all, the perfect brownie means something different to everyone. And secondly, simply because Linda doesn’t like peanuts, I couldn’t very well penalize the peanut butter brownie, now could I? So basically, the crowd favorites are at the top (with reasons why) and the least favorites are at the bottom. So without further adieu, here are the results with photos and recipe links. Enjoy.
1. Peanut Butter Brownies, Bon Appetit, January 2007.
This brownie is tricked-out with a double layer of frosting (one peanut butter, one chocolate) and roasted peanuts in the batter for added texture. It’s delicious and cute. If you are a peanut fan, this brownie is truly for you. Recipe Here
2. Double Fudge Brownies, Chocolatier Magazine, Oct 1997.
This is the perfect brownie for me - I love deep, dark & decadent. Most tasters loved it; the only complaint was they couldn't eat a lot because of the richness – but I don’t want to eat a brownie the size of my head, so it works for me. This recipe has walnuts, but pecans are also nice; or if you aren’t a nut fan, leave them out all together. Recipe Here
3. World’s Best Brownies, The Gutsy Gourmet.
Adored by the crowd, this is a traditional brownie done really well – it has a crisp, crackly top (which, interestingly enough, makes it for some people), isn’t overly sweet, and is super moist (more so than it looks). Recipe & a Little Tune Here
4. Dark Chocolate Brownies, Chocolatier Magazine, Nov 2000.
This brownie is my favorite all-purpose, straight-forward, hit-me-with-some-good-chocolate brownie. It’s got mini chocolate chips as well as lots of good chocolate for a very moist, deep, rich, focused chocolate flavor. Recipe Here
5. Double Chocolate Walnut Brownies.
This one is a good, old-fashioned brownie, in fact, many commented, “tastes like the ones Mom used to make.” For the recipe, you’ll have to call Kurt’s good friend, Lisa (or your mom).
6. Candy Bar Brownies, Food Network.
This recipe calls for chilled Snickers bars smashed around in the food processor – you don’t get large chunks of the candy, but you do get the overall flavor. The first set of people didn’t like it at all, but then it became the favorite for the next set – so it ended up mid-list, go figure. Recipe Here
7. Deep Cocoa Brownies, Chocolatier Magazine, Nov 2000.
Pound for pound, this one is extremely similar to #4 – they both even include mini chocolate chips in the batter. But this recipe has more cocoa powder, hence a more cocoa-like flavor, if that makes sense. It’s a delicious brownie, but our crowd liked the Dark Chocolate Brownie (#4) a little better. Recipe Here
8. Basic Brownies, Cook’s Illustrated.
Not really the favorite, and I’m not sure why. It was a good brownie, it just wasn’t a great brownie. Recipe Here
9. Peanut Butter-Hazelnut Brownies, Food Network.
From the title, I was expecting a chocolatey brownie with crunchy peanuts and hazelnuts, but the recipe calls for cocoa powder (no chocolate), Nutella spread and creamy peanut butter. It had a moist texture, but was a little too sweet and not a lot of focused chocolate flavor. If you are a hazelnut fan, you’ll probably love this brownie – I might add a cup of roasted hazelnuts to the batter to give it a little somethin’-somethin’. Recipe Here
Bless you for your sacrifice of baking and tasting. There will be a special place in dessert heaven for you and yours.
Posted by: Steve2 in LA | August 18, 2007 at 10:27 PM