I should make brownies! It's been a while since I've made them but they're perfect party food, you can cut them into squares and they're super chocolately, just what I wanted.
Then came the difficult part, would I be able to find walnuts in Portugal? Pecans are definitely a no. I've wanted to make pecan pie but with no corn syrup and no pecans here, it's never happened. But what about walnuts? I wondered. Even more challenging I knew would be the unsweetened chocolate. Not to mention my lack of adequate pan. Especially one which would hold all that this recipe makes.
Finally, after making my list, it was time to put my wondering to the test. Mercifully, I found walnuts and also found (though expensive and irrelevant to this recipe) macadamia nuts, my favorite! There was to be no unsweetened chocolate, however. All the baking chocolate they had listed sugar first and the chocolates with "no sugar added" were filled with artificial sweetener. Not appealing. So I decided to wing it with my Ghirardelli chocolate chips (two bags of my precious three were sacrificed for this recipe) and add less sugar than the recipe called for to make up for my lack of unsweetened chocolate.
I also decided to cut the recipe in half and use my regular oven pan, that is the one that came with the oven, and modify its angled side to work with this recipe. My lack of cooking supplies (though it may seem like I have a lot) has made me extremely creative and the result was pretty good. I managed not to overcook the brownies and still had plenty leftover to take to the office after the party. Success!
Since I'll probably be making the half recipe when I make these again, I've modified the recipe to show those measurements. To see the full recipe, click Ina Garten below.
Outrageous Brownies (adapted from Ina Garten)
Ingredients:
8 ounces (225 grams) unsalted butter
8 ounces (225 grams) plus 6 oz (170 grams) semisweet chocolate chips, separated
3 ounces (85 grams) unsweetened chocolate
3 extra-large eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup + 2 tablespoons (246 grams) sugar
1/2 cup (70 grams) + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, separated
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (130 grams) chopped walnuts
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350º F (176º C).
2) Butter and flour a 12 x 18 x 1-inch baking sheet.
3) Melt together the butter, 8 oz (225 grams) of chocolate chips, and the 3 oz (85 grams) unsweetened chocolate in a medium bowl over simmering water. Allow to cool slightly.
4) In a large bowl, stir (do not beat) together the 3 eggs, 1 1/2 tablespoons of coffee granules, 1 tbsp vanilla, and 1 cup + 2 tbsps (246 grams) sugar. Stir the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and allow to cool to room temperature.
5) In a medium bowl, sift together 1/2 cup (70 grams) of flour, the 1/2 tbsp of baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt. Add to the cooled chocolate mixture.
6) Toss the 1 1/2 cups (130 grams) of chopped walnuts and 6 oz (170 grams) of chocolate chips in a medium bowl with 2 tablespoons of flour, then add them to the chocolate batter. Pour into the baking sheet.
7) Bake for 20 minutes, then rap the baking sheet against the oven shelf to force the air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Bake for about 15 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake! Allow to cool thoroughly and cut into squares.
