Within the addled mind of the chocolate fanatic, there exists a plight that often goes unmentioned. It seems that the average baker will hold back on the potency of their creations, much to the dismay of chocoholics worldwide. In a bid to rectify this state of affairs, I have endeavoured to create the most satisfying cocoa-based recipe the culinary world has ever seen. So, let’s get the hedonistic show on the road with a tray of Industrial Strength Chocolate Brownie.
Industrial Strength Chocolate Brownie
Equipment
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Brownie Baking Tray (roughly 25x20x3.5 cm, or 10x8x1.5 inches)
Ingredients
For the Brownie
- 200g (7oz) Unsalted Butter
- 200g (7oz) Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa Solids)
- 90g (3oz) All Purpose Flour
- 50g (2oz) Cocoa Powder
- 150g (3) Eggs
- 225g (8oz) Light Brown Sugar
- 4g (1tsp) Vanilla Extract
- 100g (3oz) Chopped Macadamia Nuts
- 60g (2oz) Dark Chocolate Chips (70% Cocoa Solids)
For Decoration
- 90g (3oz) Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa Solids)
- 60g (2oz) Whipping Cream
- 15g (1tbsp) Caster Sugar
- 15g (½oz) Unsalted Butter
- 60g (2oz) White Chocolate
Instructions
The Brownie
- Pre-heat your oven to 180°C (350°F, Fan 160°C, Gas Mark 4). Then, grease the inside of the baking tray with butter, before lining the bottom with baking paper. The butter will help the paper to stick, while leaving the sides exposed will enable those crunchy edges that some folks gravitate to
- Fill the small saucepan around a quarter way with water, and put it on a low heat. Then, place one of the medium size bowls on top, so it rests on the rim of the pan, and doesn't touch the water
- Add 200g of Butter and 200g of Dark Chocolate, broken into small chunks, and wait for it to melt
- Meanwhile, put 90g of All Purpose Flour, and 50g of Cocoa Powder into the second bowl, mix together, and set aside
- Once the chocolate and butter have melted, turn off the heat, and give it a quick whisk to form a delicious looking sauce. But, leave it on top of the pan so it doesn't cool down too quickly and solidify
- Next, place 225g sugar, 150g Eggs, and 4g Vanilla Extract in the mixing bowl, and blitz it with the electric hand mixer until light and creamy
- Now, check the temperature of the chocolate with a finger, it should be warm to the touch, but not hot
- Once satisfied, slowly add the chocolate mix into the mixing bowl with the sugar and eggs. Then, using a rubber spatula, carefully fold the two mixtures together until roughly combined, trying your best not to knock any of the air out
- When combined, take the bowl with the flour and cocoa, and sift that into the mixing bowl. Once again, use the spatula to carefully fold it into the mixture, until no powdery residue remains. Be careful not to over mix
- Add 100g of chopped macadamia nuts and 60g of chocolate chips, and give the whole thing a brief stir, until well distributed
- Transfer the whole glorious mess to the pre-prepared baking tray, and bake in the oven for approximately 30 minutes. Or, until giving the tray a shake yields no wobble whatsoever (start checking after 25 minutes)
- Once ready, take it out of the oven, and leave it in the tin until cooled entirely
An Optional Topping
- At this point, you are more than welcome to enjoy the brownie as it is. However, I like to add a bit more chocolate to the occasion
- Once again, take a pan filled a quarter the way with water, put it on a low heat, and place a bowl on top, making sure it doesn't touch the water
- Add 90g of Dark Chocolate, 60g of Whipping Cream, 15g of Butter, and 15g of Caster Sugar. Then, wait for it to melt, stirring occasionally
- When melted, whisk it all together until thoroughly combined, then pour evenly over the Brownie, and wait for it to cool
- When cool, place your small pan of water back on a low heat with a fresh bowl. Then place 60g of White Chocolate inside, and wait for it to melt
- Once the white chocolate has liquefied, drizzle, or pipe it erratically over the brownie, and let it cool
- Now, use a sharp knife to carefully unstick the brownie from the sides of the pan, before cutting the whole thing into your desired serving sizes. Then, piece-by-piece, remove it from the tin, and serve to the drooling masses
Nutrition
Getting the Most Out of Your Industrial Strength Chocolate Brownie
Chocolate
Probably the single most important part of the recipe, chocolate represents the soul of the industrial strength brownie. As such, you should pay heed to the quality of the chocolate you plan to use. Personally, I like to keep a big old bag of Dark Chocolate couverture to hand in order to satisfy all my baking needs. However, for those with only an occasional dalliance into the world of chocolatey food-things, an off the shelf, good quality bar of the dark stuff will work just fine. On the other hand, Chocolate Compound is just awful, and you should avoid it like the plague that it is.
Baking Tray
As noted earlier, this recipe will accommodate a 25cm x 20cm x3.5cm (10inch x 8inch x 1.5inch) baking tray, something like this one I found on the internet. However, anything that comes in at least 2.5cm (1 inch) deep, and has an surface area of approximately 500cm² (80inches²) at the base, will perform admirably.
Additional Flavours to Grace the Chocolate Brownie
For this particular recipe, I have filled my brownie with macadamia nuts and chocolate chips. However, the more adventurously inclined baker can add their own personal touch by throwing in whatever takes their fancy. As such, any kind of nut will work great, as will raisins, candied fruit, crystalised ginger, or whatever else the imagination throws into the mix!
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