Brownie!

It's been seven years since the last post.... Don't know how it happened but it is just that once you stop it's hard to pick it up.   However, for some reason I decided to start baking again by making brownie and to prove to the folks at work that I know how to bake.

Not a big fan of chocolate but somehow this rainy day seems a perfect day to melt dark buttery stuff in a pot. The cocoa aroma will warm up the entire house to cheat yourself that you're not baking alone. After doing some brownie recipe search I made up my mind to try the one from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé:

Ingredients (makes 18 brownies)
145 grams bittersweet chocolate, preferably Valrhona Caraibe, finely chopped (I used 113 grams 70% cocoa dark chocolate plus 30 grams unsweetened cocoa powder)
260 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
250 grams sugar (I used 240 grams)
140 grams all-purpose flour
 *Optional 145 grams pecans or walnuts / hazelnuts, lightly toasted and very coarsely chopped


Step by Step:

 1)Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter a 9 x 12-inch (24 x 30-cm) baking pan, fit the bottom with a piece of parchment paper, butter the paper, and then dust the inside of the pan with flour; tap out the excess and set the pan aside.

2)Melt the chocolate in a bowl over — not touching — simmering water or in the microwave oven. Remove the chocolate from the heat and leave it on the counter to cool slightly. The chocolate should be warm to the touch (no more than 115°F (45°C), as measured on an instant-read thermometer when you mix it with the other ingredients.

3)Working in a bowl with a flexible rubber spatula (or in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment), beat the butter until it is smooth and creamy but not airy. Stir in the chocolate.

4)Gradually add the eggs, then add the sugar, followed by the flour, stirring only until each ingredient is incorporated.

5) Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 19 to 22 minutes; 

6) Once it's done, the top of the cake will be dry, but a knife inserted in the center will come out wet. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and allow the brownies to cool for 20 to 30 minutes. 

When you are ready to serve, cut the brownies into 18 pieces.