Jamie Oliver - Forums / brownie make me sad :'(

Dice · Tue 16 Jan 07 2:27pm

more than 10 times that i try to bake a brownie .. with a recipe from different cooking book BUT come out with the same result.. look like charcoal and teste like .. charcoal i can say :'( Even with recipe of "fifteen chocolate brownies" from "COOK with Jamie" (i tried 3 times!) I am sure that it comes from me but what/how? I use the exact ingredient possible, read and follow step by step .. but doesn't work. Please help :'(

Thank you,
Dice

GeoffP · Tue 16 Jan 07 3:31pm

Sinc it happens with all recipes,I would suspect you oven.

Can you borrow a thermometer and check it?

LadyRed · Tue 16 Jan 07 4:13pm

Yep, sounds like your oven... had the same problem with mine. When I checked it with a termometer I found out that impartial of which temperature I put it on it first heats up to over 200Â°C (!) and only then reduced down to the desired warmth, which is death to any fragile cake or cooky recipe ...

VENUS · Wed 17 Jan 07 7:04am

I made these on the weekend, turned out perfectly,

Espresso Brownies

Ingredients
1 cup butter, cut into pieces
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
2-1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup instant espresso powder
1/4 cup coffee-flavored liqueur
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 recipe Chocolate Glaze (see recipe below)
Chocolate-covered coffee beans (optional)

Directions
1. Line a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with foil, extending foil over edges of pan. Grease foil; set pan aside. Melt butter and unsweetened chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Cool mixture to room temperature.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a large mixing bowl beat eggs, sugar, espresso powder, coffee liqueur, and vanilla with an electric mixer until combined. Beat in cooled chocolate mixture. Add flour mixture, stirring just until combined. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.

3. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 25 to 30 minutes until top appears set and dry. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Pour Chocolate Glaze evenly over brownies. Cover and chill about 2 hours until glaze is set.

4. Before serving, let stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes. Use foil to lift brownies out of pan. Cut into bars. If desired, garnish with chocolate-covered coffee beans. Makes 48 brownies.

To Tote: Cover and transport in baking pan. (Or cut into bars and place in a single layer in a shallow container.)

Chocolate Glaze: In a medium saucepan combine 6 ounces coarsely chopped semisweet chocolate, 1/4 cup butter, and 2 tablespoons milk. Cook and stir over low heat until melted and smooth.

Dice · Wed 17 Jan 07 7:13am

Thank you GeoffP and LadyRed for your suggestion. OK, i will try to find one to check the themperature of my oven.

and Thank you VENUS for the recipe. Too bad, my family does not like coffee. Anyway if i have any guest who like espesso, i will try your recipe, ok?

Thank you all for reply,
Dice smile

terryjakobs · Sun 11 Feb 07 2:58pm

Hi can anyone help here.. help

i've just made brownies for the first time and i feel a little disappointed
sad
it looked great when i took it from the oven but it is still very runny inside, is this how a brownie is supposed to be or have i done something wrong? i'm affraid to take it out of the tin! yikes
Thanks Tezza

SusanneH · Sun 11 Feb 07 4:16pm

Brownies should not be really runny. Maybe they needed a little more time in the oven. (As not all ovens are the same that's possible even if you did follow the recipe minutely)
Some things you bake are still soft when they come out of the oven and harden as they cool, but again "runny" is not a good sign with brownies. See if it sets (has set). If it did, cut them and see if they might not be ok after all.
A good way to test these things right when the cake or the brownies come out of the oven is to stick a wooden skewer into the middle and see if it comes out clean. If it doesn't bake some more.

sweetie-pie · Sun 11 Feb 07 9:42pm

We have a dodgy oven too (we rent and it comes with the house so we're stuck with it). We bought an oven thermometer for about £3 in a kitchen shop - and have now worked out what the dial should say compared to the actual temp in the oven (we were about 30 degrees out evil !!!)

SP

BigstU · Mon 12 Feb 07 7:19am

terryjakobs wrote:
Hi can anyone help here..

i've just made brownies for the first time and i feel a little disappointed

Try this recipe next time and trust me you wont be dissapointed wink My avatar is of the said brownies thumbsup

Chocolate Brownies

200 grams butter
200 grams plain chocolate
600 grams caster sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs -- large
250 grams plain flour
4 tablespoons cocoa

Preheat oven to 180C, Gas 4

Prepare a small rectangular roasting tin or oven proof dish approximately 8 x 12" (20 x 30cm). Grease or line with baking paper

Melt the butter and chocolate over a pan of simmering water. Cool slightly.

Stir in the sugar and vanilla.

Add the eggs, one at a time, stirring until well blended each time.

Sift the flour and cocoa together, add to the mixture and beat for about 1 minute, until smooth.

Pour into prepared tin, and bake for about 35 - 45 minutes. The mixture needs to be just cooked, so start testing with a cocktail stick at about 35 minutes - it should have moist crumbs, but not wet batter, still clinging to it.

Cool in tin until cool enough to handle, then cut into pieces, but leave until completely cold before removing from tin.

I cut this size into 24 pieces (8 x 3), but it could easily make more smaller pieces as it is very rich.

Use the best quality plain chocolate you can find, I always use 70 - 75%

Enjoy

Stu cool

BigstU · Mon 12 Feb 07 7:26am

SusanneH wrote:
A good way to test these things right when the cake or the brownies come out of the oven is to stick a wooden skewer into the middle and see if it comes out clean. If it doesn't bake some more.

This would be true for cakes, but not for brownies as you want moist crumbs sticking to it, if its clean I'm afraid to say you have overbaked wink

Cocktail stick test

Clean = Overdone puke
Moist Crumb = Perfect thumbsup
Wet Batter = 5 more mins needed hmm

Stu cool

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forum: Food, Wine and Gardening

#1 Tue 16 Jan 07 2:27pm

Dice

brownie make me sad :'(

#2 Tue 16 Jan 07 3:31pm

GeoffP

Re: brownie make me sad :'(

#3 Tue 16 Jan 07 4:13pm

LadyRed

Re: brownie make me sad :'(

#4 Wed 17 Jan 07 7:04am

VENUS

Re: brownie make me sad :'(

#5 Wed 17 Jan 07 7:13am

Dice

Re: brownie make me sad :'(

#6 Sun 11 Feb 07 2:58pm

terryjakobs

Re: brownie make me sad :'(

#7 Sun 11 Feb 07 4:16pm

SusanneH

Re: brownie make me sad :'(

#8 Sun 11 Feb 07 9:42pm

sweetie-pie

Re: brownie make me sad :'(

#9 Mon 12 Feb 07 7:19am

BigstU

Re: brownie make me sad :'(

terryjakobs wrote:

#10 Mon 12 Feb 07 7:26am

BigstU

Re: brownie make me sad :'(

SusanneH wrote: