February 9

I’m sharing something that not many people know about me.

Not even Superman knows this.

I keep at least one box of brownie mix, stashed way back in the back of my pantry.

It is there for one reason, and one reason alone.

So I can mix it up and eat it……raw.

I put it in the fridge and it turns to this semi-solid fudgy goo that is just perfect for when a chocolate craving hits and there just. is. no. more. chocolate. in. the. house.

Which is rare, but it has been known to happen, hence the stashed .99 brownie mix.

It is also the reason that I picked today’s TWD, Rick Katz’s Browies for Julia.

Julia Child that is.

You see this bakes up chewy on the outside.

And just a wee bit gooey on the inside.

Once it cools completely it isn’t runny anymore, but I am not know for my patience, so I cut a piece 20 minutes out of the oven, and Internet…it was perfection.

The recipe was very easy, and I only used 2 bowls.

No mixer was involved, but that is only because my strapping son offered to whip the eggs till they were doubled in volume.

Want the recipe?

Here it is.

Rick Katz’s Brownies For Julia

Dorie writes “In 1995, when I was working with Julia Child filming the PBS series Baking with Julia and writing the companion book, Boston-based pastry chef Rick Katz was running the prep kitchen in Julia’s basement.   Working between the washing machine and the dryer, Rick was in charge of getting the recipes of each of the twenty-six visiting chefs ready for their close-ups.  An ordinary human would have had his hands full, but superman Rick always found time to make us extra little goodies, among them these very dark, very fudgy brownies.   The way he prepares the batter is different from any other brownie recipe I know.  Half of the eggs and sugar are mixed in with the chocolate, while the other half are beaten until they double in volume and are as light as a sponge.   Whipping the eggs creates the surprisingly creamy, soft and definitely fudgy texture.

• 1 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces
• 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped ~~I used semi-sweet
• 2 c. sugar
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350º F.  Put a 9 inch square baking pan (I like to use Pyrex for this) on a baking sheet.   Whisk flour and salt together.

Set a heat proof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water, put the butter and chocolate in.  Stir frequently until the ingredients are just melted-you don’t want them to get so hot that the butter separates.   I melted these in the microwave in my usual fashion. Add 1 c. sugar and whisk gently just to incorporate it, then remove the bowl from the pan of water.   Stir in the vanilla and transfer to a large bowl.

Put the remaining cup of sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer or a medium bowl and whisking a whisk, stir in the eggs.  Switch to a rubber spatula and little by little add half of the sugar-egg mixture to the warm chocolate, stirring very gently without stopping-you don’t want the heat of the chocolate to cook the eggs.

With the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, or have your chef son beat the reaming sugar and eggs on medium-high for about 3 minutes, or until they double in volume.   Using a spatula and a light touch, fold the whipped eggs into the chocolate, stopping just short of blending them in completely.

Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the batter and delicately fold them in, working only until they disappear.   Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top with the spatula.

Bake for 25-28 minutes, or until the top looks dry.   Poke a thin knife intot he center and take a peek:  The brownies should be only just set and still pretty gooey.

Transfer the pan to a rack and cool to room temperature.

The brownies are fragile and best cut in the pan.   Cut eighteen 1½ x 3 inch bars.

I sure hope that y’all enjoyed these as much as I did, and thanks for baking along with me today.

.