Sunday, November 16, 2008

A Brownie Mix

Everyone seems to love brownies. I wonder though how many people actually make their brownies from scratch vs. buying a boxed mix in the store. I've never compared the price difference, but I can guess that it is much cheaper to make your own mix at home. I found this recipe for a brownie mix in a publication entitled "The Baking Sheet". It is put out by the King Arthur Flour company in Vermont. One of my sisters told me about this company quite a few years ago, and I have been a fan ever since. In 2004 we took a trip back east, and one of the stops I wanted to make was visiting their facility. It was a perfect place to visit, and lived up to my expectations entirely. They even had a large parking lot where we could park our trailer so my boys could keep entertained while my girls and I got to spend as much time as we wanted in the store.

Back to the gift idea though ... A pretty dish with some freshly baked brownies on it, along with a jar of this brownie mix and the recipes would be a great gift for someone. Or even just a cute tin with the mix in it would also be a cute idea. The nice thing about this mix recipe, is that it gives directions for making it in four different pan sizes, which makes it perfect for a small or large family.

Brownie Mix
4 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3 3/4 cups Dutch-process cocoa
6 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Place all of the ingredients into the bowl of a 5-quart mixer fitted with a paddle. Mix on low speed until thoroughly combined. Yield: 12 cups

Mix directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 deg.. Melt butter and stir into the mix. Add eggs, one at a time, stirring until evenly moistened. Stir in the vanilla and any nuts or chips you choose. Spoon into your greased pan and bake for the time indicated.

9 x 5 - inch loaf pan (toaster oven)
1 1/2 cups brownie mix
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 medium or 1 1/2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup each nuts and chips
Bake for 22 to 24 minutes

9-inch square pan
3 cups brownie mix
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
3 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup each nuts and chips
Bake for 24 to 26 minutes

9 x 13-inch pan
4 1/4 cups brownie mix
1 cup unsalted butter, melted
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup each nuts and chips
Bake for 23 to 25 minutes

13 x 18-inch half-sheet pan
7 cups brownie mix
7 large eggs
1 3/4 cups unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups each nuts and chips
Bake for 27 to 29 minutes

2 comments:

PJH said...

Hi Monica - so glad you enjoyed your visit to our store - hope you can come back sometime, we've totally remodeled. Lots of great stuff. And thanks so much for your kind words and loyalty - we appreciate it. Happy baking! PJ Hamel, King Arthur baker/blogger, on behalf of my 167 fellow employee-owners

Monica said...

PJ - thank you so much for dropping in on my little corner of blogger land. And if I ever make it back to Vermont again, I will be sure to stop by your newly remodeled store.