Monday, October 6, 2014

rocky road brownies

What is it about marshmallows?

While I do admit that a home-made marshmallow tastes way better than the store bought ones, I do like using the quick-and-easy store bought ones when I bake.

Marshmallows, once melted, is a thing of beauty.
It becomes slightly crispy on the outside and soft and gooey on the inside.

It reminds me so much of the days when I was a Girl Guide and we had to dig holes in the ground to light charcoal so we could cook our dinner and roast marshmallows afterwards. Those are such lovely memories. :)

Anyway, I digress again.

These rocky road brownies are a hit with kids of all ages, yes, even the 40-something year old kids.

AHEM.
It is also very easy to make. Indeed, the batter is supposed to improve if you make it in advance and leave it in the fridge - apparently this hydrates the cocoa and flour which brings the flavors together as well as sharpen the flavors.

I shall bear that in mind the next time I bake this, for I simply could not wait. Having said that I did leave my batter in the fridge for 30 minutes before I baked the brownie.

Talk about restraint!!!

Okay, enough chatter chatter. Here are the instructions to make this super gorgeous brownie.

Melt the butter over low heat. Once all the butter has melted, transfer the butter into a big bowl.
Add the cocoa powder and whisk until the cocoa is combined.
Add the sugar and continue whisking. You will end up with what resembles a mass of dark brown sugar.
 Add the egg and egg whites, as well as the vanilla extract.
 Whisk until the mixture is smooth and glossy, about 2 minutes.
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the batter and whisk until the flour is just combined. The batter will be thick.
Scrape the batter into a lined and greased 8x8-inch baking tray. The batter will be very shallow in the pan. If you wish, cover this with cling film and place it in the fridge for up to 12 hours. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before baking.
 Oil your scissors and cut the marshmallow into quarters. Press the marshmallows into the batter.
Scatter the white chocolate chips and dark chocolate chunks over the marshmallows.
Bake at 175°C for 25 to 35 minutes.

Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack for about 2 hours before cutting.
Oh man.

I can stare at these for hours.
Or better still, just sink my teeth into one of these babies!

NOM. NOM. NOM.

A Joint Giveaway with MummyMoo! 

I am giving away one set of Simply Calphalon Nonstick 6-Piece Bakeware Set (perfect for a beginner baker since these are all the pans you will need to start baking!), consisting of 
2 8-Inch round cake pans 
10-by-15-inch cookie sheet
9-by-13-inch cake pan 
12-cup muffin pan 
4-1/2-by-8-1/2-by-2-1/2-inch medium loaf pan

Made from heavy-gauge carbon steel for even heating with no hot spots
Durable nonstick coating and reinforced rolled edges prevent warping
Oven-safe up to 450°F (230°C) and dishwasher-safe
To enter, simple click on the icon below!
*Terms and conditions apply.

RECIPE
Rock Road Brownies (Makes 16 pieces)
Adapted from Pinch of Yum

Ingredients:
1 cup less 1 tablespoon (115g) plain flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
4½ tablespoons (64g) unsalted butter, melted
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon (66g) unsweetened cocoa powder - I used Valrhona
1¼ cups (250g) sugar - I reduced this by 50%
1 large egg
2 large egg whites
2 teaspoons (10ml) vanilla extract
8 regular-size marshmallows - I increased to 16 marshmallows
⅓ cup (60g) white chocolate chips
⅓ cup (60g) milk chocolate chips - I used dark chocolate chunks

Method:
1. Melt the butter over low heat. Once all the butter has melted, transfer the butter into a big bowl.
2. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until the cocoa is combined.
3. Add the sugar and continue whisking. You will end up with what resembles a mass of dark brown sugar.
4. Add the egg and egg whites, as well as the vanilla extract.
5. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and glossy, about 2 minutes.
6. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the batter and whisk until the flour is just combined. The batter will be thick.
7. Scrape the batter into a lined and greased 8x8-inch baking tray. The batter will be very shallow in the pan. If you wish, cover this with cling film and place it into the fridge for up to 12 hours. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before baking.
8. Oil your scissors and cut the marshmallow into quarters. Press the marshmallows into the batter.
9. Scatter the white chocolate chips and dark chocolate chunks over the marshmallows.
10. Bake at 175°C for 25 to 35 minutes.
11. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack for about 2 hours before cutting.
Note: 
The batter is supposed to improve if you make it in advance and leave it in the fridge - apparently this hydrates the cocoa and flour which brings the flavors together as well as sharpen the flavors.
Brownies can be stored in an airtight container for 2-3 days, or in the fridge for up to a week.

2 comments:

  1. can't wait to try this out! Thanks for sharing :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wah......Diana, these brownies look so good with all that decadent topping! You know, long, long ago, I thought that marshmallows were a type of fruit LOL!

    ReplyDelete