Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Black & White Brownies, Because Chocolate Comes in Many Shades


I've never been a huge fan of white chocolate. I don't hate it. I don't even dislike it. It's just not something I'd choose over dark or milk chocolate. Oooh dark. Drool drool drool. But the point is, I don't advocate on white chocolate's behalf.

This Black & White Brownie by King Arthur Flour just rocked my world so much that I'm willing to give white chocolate another chance to be on the Hot List. Give the recipe a try and see if you understand what I mean. Or maybe you were already a white chocolate fan and it's a no-brainer that you'd like this brownie and I'm preaching to the choir? But if you were like me, unimpressed, bored even, by the thought of white chocolate desserts, then view this as a very unique opportunity to grow your palate.


Besides the delicious taste and texture of these brownies, they are fun and whimsical looking because of the scattered dark chocolate pieces that bake on the top of the white batter. I recommend using large, geometric chocolate chunks, such as round wafers (Trader Joe's now sells these!) or square blocks.

Sorry I don't have step-by-step pictures of this brownie. But save the jawdrops and appalledness for someone else (with tougher skin). I'm not perfect (Doh! The cat's out of the bag!)! I didn't have my camera out during the making of this brownie and I'm pretty sad about it. I'm kicking myself enough already for the both of us. But come on, I know you can do it! You don't need photo instructions. There are very few ingredients, all basic, and no fancy technique to learn and apply. I believe in you!


Black & White Brownies
Adapted from a recipe from King Arthur Flour
Makes 16 brownies

1 cup (6 ounces) chopped white chocolate
1/4 cup (2 ounces, 1/2 stick) butter
3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups (5 1/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup (6 ounces) bittersweet chunks or chopped chocolate, divided

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9-inch square pan.

In the microwave, heat together the white chocolate, butter, and sugar in a heatproof bowl. Only heat for 30 seconds at a time because you don't want to burn the chocolate (and white chocolate has a tendency to burn easily). You can also do this over a double boiler, but I often find the microwave does the trick, and it's a lot easier!

Remove the bowl from the microwave when the butter is melted and the white chocolate has softened. Then stir in the vanilla, nutmeg, and salt. Wait till the mixture has cooled down to lukewarm, then add the two eggs and beat to incorporate.

In a small separate bowl, stir together the flour and baking powder. Add these dry ingredients to the egg/chocolate mixture. Stir in 3/4 cup of the chocolate chunks. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and scatter the remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate chunks over the top.

Bake the brownies for 20-25 minutes, until light golden brown and the edges pull away ever so slightly from the pan. Remove from the oven, place the pan on a cooling rack, and allow to cool completely before cutting.

1 comment:

Mom said...

Another yummy discovery from this past weekend together! I really liked the texture and glossy finish on top. Very unique and delicious!

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