LET ME KNOW HOW THIS ONE IS KEELY

The Ultimate Brownie Recipe… Scandalously Sinfully Delicious

Razor Family Farms

Ingredients:

1 pound salted (regular) sweet cream butter

36 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips (I like using Ghirardelli)

6 extra large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

4 tablespoons Hazelnut liqueur (could use Tia Maria, Godiva Chocolate, etc.)

2 1/4 cups sugar

4 oz. of cream cheese

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon dark cocoa powder (unsweetened)

3/4 teaspoon salt

3 cups chopped pecans (optional)

1.     Preheat oven to 350°F.  Use parchment paper to line or grease & flour a 13″ x 9″ x 2″ pan

2.     Chop the butter into cubes and place it in the top portion of the double boiler (or glass bowl) with the chocolate chips) over simmering water.  Stir with a spatula/scraper until fully melted and mixed into a gorgeous chocolate sauce.  Remove from heat.

3.     Sift together: the flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder.  Now sift it one more time.  Add the chopped nuts with the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

4.     In a large bowl, mix vanilla, liqueur, cream cheese, and sugar.  Stir in the eggs one at a time.  Don’t beat the eggs!  This is serious business, folks.

5.     Now, mix the chocolate and the dry ingredients (with the nuts) with the egg mixture in the large bowl.  Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula (do not use a mixer).

6.     Pour the brownie batter into the lined or greased & floured baking pan.  Rap the pan on the counter until the air bubbles stop coming to the surface to pop (this ensures that the batter is sitting in the pan without a bunch of air pockets).  Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean (sometimes it takes a bit longer than 35 minutes so I check it every five minutes or so after that). Do not overbake!  Allow to cool slightly, score, and then allow to cool completely before removing from the pan.  Unless you are a freak (like me) and just must eat a brownie right away and cannot wait for anything to cool completely.  You are not alone, my friend.
        Use a plastic knife to cut perfect squares without breaking or tearing.

                          Posted by Chef Bill Brooks, Corporate Chef, U.S. Foodservice, Inc

             Opinions expressed are my own and do not necessarily

reflect those of U.S. Foodservice, Inc