Cocoa Ecstasy

(Huge apology:  I forgot to add the recipe for the Super Spicy Chili last month.  It is now available on the “Recipes” page.)

So here we sit on the cusp of a new era of cookery. We have a new name (new web address is https://melskitchenconfessions.wordpress.com).  And what better way to start a new, baby-fresh name than with chocolate? That’s right.  You heard me.

CHOCOLATE

On several occasions, I’ve been accused of chocoholicism – an accusation that I vehemently deny.  I am capable of resisting this delicious fare, but really, why should you ever resist?  Nigella Lawson doesn’t believe in the concept of guilty pleasures (because you should never feel guilty), and I have to say, I like the philosophy.  So let us indulge, my compatriots, in this world of chocolate bliss.

My decision to make a batch of brownies turned into an experiment of common baking wisdom.  Some of you may know about this already, while others of you may think I’m some sort of genius – a Betty Crocker mastermind with a flair for sarcasm.  Either way, I’m glad you’re here join me during my quest for the truth.

Common Baking Wisdom #26:

The quality of your chocolate greatly increases or decreases the quality of your final product. 

 I’ve heard this for years.  But I never tested the validity of it.  Whatever chocolate I had on hand, this was the chocolate I used.  It tasted fine – chocolatey.  What’s the big deal?  Let me tell you right here and now –

It’s a Very Big Deal!!!!

First, let’s talk recipe.  It comes from A Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking by Marcy Goldman.  Ms. Goldman, a Canadian, created Better Baking and is a contributor of numerous food articles.  I also have a sneaking suspicion she has some sort of affiliation with the King Arthur Flour Company, because sometimes, the book feels like an advertisement for them. 

I was attracted to this book, initially, because the cover had a picture of hamantaschen on it (photo courtesy of   another wordpress blogger.  Find her here.)  For those of you not familiar with hamantaschen, it is a delectable, triangular-shaped cookie with fruit filling.  It is a baked treat the Jewish community makes during Purim to celebrate the bravery of Queen Esther (a whole chapter of the Bible is dedicated to her).  The three points of the cookie are meant to represent the hat of the villain Haman.

Hamantaschen is one of my favorite cookies from my New York City bakery days, and sometimes, the hardest to get because they are so popular.  So, of course, I picked the book up.  It’s kind of cool, because all the baked goods are divided by Jewish holiday (which is suggested in the title, but I was blinded by the hamantaschen).  Ms. Goldman gives you background on the various holidays, plus helpful tips throughout. 

Under the Shabbat holiday (Day of Rest/the Sabbath), she has a recipe called Friday Night’s Rich and Addictive Cocoa Fudge Brownies.  The recipe includes a frosting (which is on the the recipe card), but honestly, you really don’t need it.  The brownie is rich enough, all by itself.  Ms. Goldman does note that she often makes them with all-granulated sugar, especially when she uses butter.  I, however, did not.  If you take a look at Jewish baking, you may notice that they often use vegetable oil or olive as a fat.  My guess is because oil traveled a lot better during those 40 years in the desert.  But I am a big fan of butter and the flavor it imparts, so I tend to use it when given the choice.

Brownie Baking Experiment #1:

I made the recipe, first using a store brand cocoa.  As I said before, whatever chocolate I had on hand is what I used.  The canister was open.  Enough said.  The brownies were tasty enough, but a little  greasy.  I was underwhelmed.  And a little disappointed.  Disappointed enough to try again. 

 And that’s when the brilliant idea struck me to test this “quality of chocolate” theory.  I had forgotten that I had a better cocoa on hand, basically, because I had only ever used it for hot chocolate.

Brownie Baking Experiment #2:

Wilbur’s is a great little chocolate company based out of Lititz, Pennsylvania.  During our many family trips to Lancaster, over the years, we occasionally made trips to the chocolate factory.  Ah, a happy childhood memory. 

I had just enough of this cocoa left to make a batch of brownies.  I decided to tinker with the recipe a bit and increased the cocoa from 3/4 cup to 1 cup.  And they came out great!  In my opinion, anyway, although I received the feedback that they still felt (not tasted) greasy.  The cocoa flavor was so much better than my previous batch, that I began to believe that the chocolate does play a huge part in the finished product.

But I wanted to try one more time, to see if I could overcome this “greasy” accusation.  However, I was out of Wilbur’s, so I needed to get more cocoa.  (For some reason, I completely forgot that I still had the store brand cocoa.  Lucky for us.)

Brownie Baking Experiment #3:

This little canister is more expensive, I know.  But when I opened this cocoa up, the scent made me want to crawl inside the can.  THAT’S a good cocoa.  The aroma is out of this world.  So I was really excited about making my next batch of brownies.  However, I forgot my little tweak of  increasing the cocoa to 1 cup.  Yep, I only used a 3/4 cup.  But it didn’t matter, because 

Best Brownies EVER!!!!

My mother (not a brownie fan) told me that they were the best brownies she had ever eaten.  She even requested that I make a few batches to freeze so that she could have them for company.  Can you guess how high I was flying?  The bottom line is, if you use a great cocoa, you don’t need to increase it in the recipe.  A great cocoa will absorb the oil and give you a rich chocolatey experience.

So let’s get down to business with the recipe, which calls for using both granulated and brown sugars.  I like to mix my sugars together first to ensure they get evenly incorporated.  It makes me feel better, even if this is my imagination.  I then added the melted butter, eggs and vanilla.

You need to sift your cocoa, so I did that, thoroughly stirring all my dry ingredients together before mixing them to the wet ingredients.  I didn’t choose to add the nuts, but if it floats your boat, then go for it!

I spread this delectable mix (this is the Ghirardelli version) into my greased 9×9″ pan and let the oven do its magic.

And voila!  Ms. Marcy was not kidding when she said these puppies are addictive.  If you’re having a bad day, top one of these delicious, moist, fudgy brownies with vanilla ice cream, and tell me you don’t feel a wee bit better.  As I said, the frosting (in my opinion) makes these a little too rich.  It’s like gilding the lily.

The bottom line:  the cocoa you use makes a difference.  So get the best cocoa you can afford.  If it’s just the store brand, try increasing the amount of cocoa to achieve a better result.

Thanks for joining me on my little experiment.  If you have some of your own, please share them.  We all can learn from each other.