TWD: Quintuple Chocolate Brownies

For our second week of Tuesdays With Dorie, it was my turn to choose the recipe that we would tackle. After poring over endless possibilities, my eyes kept going back to the Quintuple Chocolate Brownies. I was pretty sure, upon reading the recipe, that I might go into sugar shock when I took my first bite. Sugar headaches be damned, my mind was made up – these would be our next Dorie adventure!

The 5 types of chocolate found in these brownies: unsweetened cocoa powder, bittersweet chocolate, unsweetened chocolate, milk chocolate, and white chocolate.

Wow, when mixing together this batter I think I got a hand cramp. Okay, that might be an exaggeration, but this was by far the thickest batter I have ever made for brownies. Any wavering I may have had on the notion that they might not be as rich as their name indicates went right out the window! Once in the oven, these gave off the most decadent, rich, chocolate aroma. I felt like I was in Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory! These brownies were easy to throw together (no KA needed!), and taste absolutely fabulous. Bonus – they look gorgeous as well! Small is good with these babies – just a nibble will satisfy even the most needy sweet tooth!

The only thing that I think I would do differently here is instead of a white chocolate glaze I would make more of a solid layer of white chocolate on top, such that you would find on peppermint bark. To do this I would simply remove the heavy cream from the recipe and spread just melted white chocolate on top of the brownie. There is nothing wrong with the glaze as is – it’s very good! – just a personal preference for a thicker layer 🙂

We have now formed a trio of Dorie experimenters, with April from Abby Sweets joining us as well! Head on over to her blog to see her take on Tuesdays with Dorie each week.

Stay tuned next week for… Hidden Berry Cream Cheese Torte

Last week: Brown Sugar-Pecan Shortbread Cookies

Quintuple Chocolate Brownies

(Source: Dorie Greenspan “Baking: From My Home to Yours” pp. 99-100)

For the Brownies:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick (8 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 Tablespoons strong coffee
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
6 ounces premium-quality milk chocolate, chopped into chips, or 1 cup store-bought milk chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts (omitted due to allergies)

For the Glaze:
6 ounces premium-quality white chocolate, finely chopped, or 1 cup store-bought white chocolate chips
1/3 cup heavy cream

Getting Ready:
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with foil, butter the foil and place the pan on a baking sheet.

Sift together the flour, cocoa, and salt.

To Make the Brownies:
Set a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and add, in the following order, the butter, the two chocolates and the coffee. Keeping the pan over low heat, warm just until the butter and chocolates are melted – you don’t want the ingredients to get so hot they separate, so keep an eye on the bowl. Stir gently, and when the mixture is smooth, set it aside for 5 minutes.

Using a whisk or a rubber spatula, beat the sugar into the chocolate mixture. Don’t beat too vigorously – you don’t want to add air to the batter – and don’t be concerned about any graininess. Next, stir in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla. You should have a smooth, glossy batter. If you’re not already using a rubber spatula, switch to one now and gently stir in the dry ingredients, mixing only until they are incorporated. Finally, stir in the milk chocolate chips and the nuts. Scrape the batter into the pan.

Bake for about 35 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted into the center comes out streaked but not thickly coated. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and let the brownies rest undisturbed for at least 30 minutes. (You can wait longer, if you’d like.)

Turn the brownies out onto a rack, peel away the foil and place it under another rack – it will be the drip catcher for the glaze. Invert the brownies onto the rack and let cool completely.

To Make the Glaze:
Put the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring the heavy cream to a boil and pour it over the chocolate. Wait 30 seconds, then, using a rubber spatula, gently stir until the chocolate is melted and the glaze is smooth.

Hold a long metal icing spatula in one hand and the bowl of glaze in the other. Pour the glaze onto the center of the brownies and use the spatula to nudge it evenly over the surface. Don’t worry if it dribbles over the edges, you can trim the sides later (or not). Refrigerate the brownies for about 20 minutes to dry the glaze.

Cut into 16 squares, each roughly 2-1/4 inches on a side.