Brownie recipes from "Joy of Cooking"
The new, updated edition of one of the most popular cookbooks ever published, "Joy of Cooking" (Scribner) has been thoroughly revised and expanded by John Becker (great-grandson of the original author, Irma Rombauer) and his wife, Megan Scott.
They offered "CBS Sunday Morning" a few recipes from this 2019 edition.
[Be sure to watch Serena Altschul's report on "Joy of Cooking" on "Sunday Morning" November 10!]
"Almost everyone has their own take on this classic American confection," write Becker and Scott. "This is the classic, lighter brownie that has appeared in 'Joy' since 1931."
Brownies Cockaigne
Makes 16 to 24 two-inch squares
Preheat the oven to 350°F. If you want chewy and moist brownies, use a 13 × 9 × 2-inch pan; if cakey, a 9-inch square pan. Grease the pan and line with parchment paper so it extends over the long sides.
Melt in a small saucepan:
1 stick (4 oz or 115g) unsalted butter
4 ounces (115g) unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
Let cool. If you don't, your brownies will be heavy and dry. Beat in a large bowl until light in color and foamy in texture:
4 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
Gradually add and continue beating until thick:
2 cups (400g) sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
With a few swift strokes, stir in the cooled chocolate mixture just until combined. Even if you are using an electric mixer, switch to a wooden spoon for this. Stir in just until combined:
1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
If desired, gently stir in:
1 cup chopped toasted pecans
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs attached. Let cool completely in the pan on a rack. If desired, serve with:
Whipped cream or ice cream
Fudgy Brownies
Makes 16 two-inch squares
They write: "Darker, richer, and fudgier than Brownies Cockaigne, this is our idea of the perfect, modern brownie."
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan and line with parchment paper so it extends over 2 sides. Melt, stirring frequently, in a large saucepan over low heat:
1 stick (4 oz or 115g) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 cup (170g) semisweet chocolate chips
Whisk in until the sugar is dissolved:
1/2 cup (100g) sugar
1/2 cup packed (115g) brown sugar
Whisk in until just combined:
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons espresso powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
Stir in just until combined:
3/4 cup (95g) all-purpose flour
1/3 cup (25g) unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Scrape into the prepared pan. If desired, sprinkle over the top:
1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan on a rack before cutting.
From "Joy of Cooking: 2019 Edition Fully Revised and Updated." Copyright 2019. Reprinted by permission of Scribner Books, of Simon & Schuster (a division of CBS).
See also:
For more info:
- "Joy of Cooking: 2019 Edition Fully Revised and Updated" by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker, Ethan Becker, John Becker and Megan Scott (Scribner), in Hardcover, Spiral-Bound and eBook formats, available November 12 via Amazon