After reading this post, you will either be shocked and write me about how you'll never use it or simply be intrigued. I wrote a webpage to design cookies based on richness and sweetness. It is intuitive and simple. http://www.whatsthesequency.com/cookie.php There is also a converter. Thanks for everyone who gave me input last time. I need more recommendations.

As far as grams vs. cups, this application is geared towards making standard recipes, therefore the accuracy is the same as most Americans are used to; any recipe you see in supermarket magazine. Now that aside, some notes and improvements I have thought of:

1. I may make a test mode, where recipes can be generated to generate small batches (4 cookies) for experimentation (e.g. 1/2 cup flour, 1/3 cup oats, 3 tbsp butter, 1/2 egg). For now, you have to scale down. 

2. Work on the directions for chocolate cookies.

3. Add brownies, crust, pound cake, scone, and coffee cake options

4. Remove Chocolate cookies since I dont think anyone eats chocolate cookies plain.

5. Add graham flour

6. I want to put emphasis on whole grains in baking, so for some recipes, whole grain flours will pop up about 20% of the time. I am not sure if I need to change this.

7. There is a slight glitch that gives an error if you dont choose the pastry type first.

Have fun,

Michael

I made these last night.

Here's my blog post, plus the recipe.

In all honesty, the entire brownie baking night came about because I was bored and wanted something chocolate. The ranting about grocery store brownies was actually me being pissed at myself because I broke down and, instead of baking my much better tasting ones, bought some frosted ones at the store a few nights ago in a pregnancy-craving-induced spending spree.

Thanks to gothicgirl for sharing her recipe for Dark Chocolate Chip Brownies!  I made them yesterday as the dessert course of a belated Mother's Day dinner (my mom was out of town last weekend), and they were delicious!  I consider myself kind of a seasoned brownie baker (though really, who isn't?), having tried quite a few recipes and these were definitely a new take on an old standard, using a combination of mainly dutch processed cocoa with some semi-sweet chocolate - I used 88%.

The only change that I might make next time is using slightly less sugar since I like a more bittersweet chocolate flavor.

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/11645/dark-chocolate-chip-brownies

I didn't bother frosting them since I served them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top!

Summer

Hello, everybody!  

I'm eight or so days away from departing on a loooong trans-Europe camping trip, and currently I'm gathering as many recipes for baking as I can - pitas, Irish soda bread, bannock, mantou buns so far - but I have a rather silly experiment I'm like to try.  Perhaps some guidance would help...  I'll be preparing everything with a Coleman camp stove, but I have a pretty severe sweet tooth.  I also have a basic recipe for brownies, essentially flour, egg whites, joghurt or milk, baking soda and powder, sugar, and vanilla or chocolate.  It's largely a low-fat sweet quick bread, bakes for 20 minutes or until the toothpick-in-the-center method verifies it's done.  

What I'm wondering is whether it would be possible to pour the batter into a pan - a griddle pan, saucepan, cover it on the stove, and bake it that way.  Does anybody have any thoughts?  If so, what heat would you recommend?  How long would it take?  Or is this the sort of thing that would give me a tummyache?

Any help is appreciated, and until then, blessings!

Posted on www.evilshenanigans.com on 4/13/2009

If you do not like chocolate jam packed inside a fudgy brownie, turn back now!

This recipe is adapted from one we made in culinary school.  The brownies we made were ok, but we did not use dark chocolate or dutch processed cocoa powder.  I do and the result is superior.  There is also more chocolate chips in my version.  I see it this way, if you are going to have chocolate, why go half-way? 

These are really easy to get mixed up, they cool pretty quickly and are wonderful covered in a shiny layer of dark chocolate ganache.  Again, why go half way?

The brownies are rich, chewy, melting, and fudgy.  I like them warm, with the kiss of the oven still on them, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or some whipped cream and a drizzle of fudge sauce.  As good as they are warm, however, I also like them cold from the refrigerator.  For some reason these brownies are SO GOOD cold, which makes them excellent for the summers here in Texas when it is ten kinds of hot.  There is nothing like a cold, chewy brownie when it is 105F outside.  Trust me!

You can easily double this recipe.  In fact, the original recipe was enough to fill a full sheet pan.  I scaled this down to a quarter of that amount - mostly because my thighs could not take it.  Just know you can scale it up easily and with much success. 

Dark Chocolate Chip Brownies   Yield 20 brownies

3 oz butter
2 oz dark chocolate, at least 62%, chopped
Sugar 14 oz
4 oz golden syrup or honey
3 oz butter
5 oz eggs (about three large)
.75 oz water
1 teaspoon instant espresso
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
5.25 oz cake flour
1 oz dutch processed cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 oz chocolate chips

Heat the oven to 350F and prepare a 1/4 sheet pan (9″x13″) with non-stick spray, line the bottom with parchment and spray again.

In a bowl combine the butter and the chocolate.  Microwave for 30 seconds, stir then microwave for an additional 15 seconds.  If the mixture is not completely melted heat at ten second intervals until completly melted.  Set aside to cool slightly.

In a bowl combine the sugar, golden syrup/honey, and second portion of butter.  Mix until well combined. 

Disolve the espresson the the water.  Add that along with the eggs and vanilla to the sugar mixture.  Mix to combine.

Stir in the melted chocolate mixture.  Blend well.  Make sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl well so that the mixture is completly combined.

Sift the dry ingredients then add them to the wet mixture.  Mix until just beginning to mositen then add the chips.  Mix until the dry ingredients are incorporated and there are no lumps.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the center is just set.

Cool completly in the pan before turning out into a cutting board. 

Frost and slice as desired.