Four Chocolates Brownie

Sometimes you just need to make brownies

Sometimes you just need brownies. You know what I mean? Sometimes it just feels good to make brownies. So familiar and chocolatey. A comforting dish to make. (and eat!)
I had that feeling the other day, I just wanted to make brownies. I went back to a recipe that I’ve been  playing with for a while now. It’s called “The World’s Best Brownie.” And I agree it’s a damn fine brownie, but I made a couple of changes – and now it’s called the “Four Chocolates Brownie.”  The brownie on its own is absolutely delicious. Perfectly ready to sneak out of the pan as you walk past the kitchen.  No one would ever know. But if you want to have a little fun and share it with your friends you can dress it up with some raspberry sauce and or whipped cream. I did both. 🙂

with raspberry sauce and guajillo honey, vanilla bean whipped cream.

The last time I went to the farmer’s market there was a lady there selling local honey. You can buy local honey in the local grocery store, but there’s something about getting the honey from the lady who’s working the bees isn’t there? She had her regular honey but she also had guajillo honey. She explained to me that this is a very special plant that only  blooms for a short while. I guess the bees really like the nectar, they get it while they can. The honey is limited quantity  and deelish! It’s a lighter honey and its flavor is delicate sweet. She recommended that I not use it for baking and cooking because it’s flavor would get lost. I felt like it would be perfect to sweeten whipped cream. It was.  I had the raspberry sauce from one of my jam making marathons last month. Adding it here seemed the right thing to do.

Four Chocolates Brownies

2 sticks of butter softened
2 cups of white sugar
2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs slightly beaten
3/4 cup high fat cocoa powder
1 short cup of flour (1 cup -1 tablespoon)
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
2 ounces of bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 ounce milk chocolate chips

Grease and flour 9 x 13 pan and set aside. Preheat oven to 350°. Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the vanilla  and mix until smooth. Add the eggs and mix well. Sift together the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add to the wet ingredients, mixing well after each addition. Fold in the chocolate chopped and chips. Pour into the pan and smooth evenly.
Bake at 350° on the middle rack for about 30 minutes. After 3 minutes start  checking it.  Jiggle the pan; if the middle jiggles sloppily, put it back in the oven and bake for another 2-4 minutes. Keep checking on it doing this until cracks just start to appear and the middle has stopped jiggling. Remove the brownies from the oven and let cool.

Guajillo Honey and Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream

1 cup of heavy cream
2 tablespoons of confectioners sugar (powdered sugar)
1 Whole vanilla bean
2 teaspoons of guajillo honey

Place your bowl and beaters in the freezer while you gather your ingredients.

Split the vanilla bean pod carefully down the center without going all the way through both sides. Using the back of your knife scrape gently scrape the vanilla caviar out of the bean pod. Put the heavy cream place in your cold bowl, add the vanilla beans 1 teaspoon of sugar and the honey. Using a hand mixer (or your own hands and a whisk) beat it until it starts to get firm. Add the second teaspoon of powdered sugar. Continue whipping cream  until it’s nice and firm (but not too much or you’ll have butter).

Enjoy!