Quadruple-Chocolate Fudge Brownies

Chocolate: luscious, lumpy. load of love......

I am not sure exactly what it is about chocolate but whatever it is...I need it.

Ooey gooey is a definate must in a brownie for me. I have been on a quest to find the perfect ooey gooey brownie recipe and up until yesterday had been sadly dissappointed in my search. This recipe is adapted from a recipe in Gourmet September 1992. It is the exact dark, luscious, ooey gooeyness I have been craving. You gotta eat it with a spoon. Go ahead take a taste for yourself.

Yield: Makes 24 brownies

• 4 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 ounces fine-quality semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips
  In a metal bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water melt the bittersweet chocolate and the unsweetened chocolate with the butter, stirring until the mixture is smooth, remove the bowl from the heat, and let the mixture cool until it is lukewarm. Stir in the sugar and the vanilla and add the eggs, 1 at a time, stirring well after each addition. Stir in the salt and the flour, stirring until the mixture is just combined, and stir in the chocolate chips. Pour the batter into a well-buttered and floured 13- by 9-inch baking pan, smooth the top, and bake the mixture in the middle of a preheated 350°F oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a tester comes out with crumbs adhering to it. Let the mixture cool completely in the pan on a rack and cut it into 24 bars.

Mississipi Mud Brownies - Something New

The discovery of a new dish does more for the happiness of mankind than the discovery of a star.

Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

While I am not sure that the discovery of a new dish is quite this thrilling it is definately a welcome friend! I don't know about you but coming up with variety in my cooking is a constant headache for me. I find myself coming back to the "same ole same ole". Granted there is nothing wrong with "tried and true" but my palate gets easily bored. I am creating this blog in the hopes that family and friends will rescue my poor bored palate and post some of their very own "tried and trues". Quite simply it is an online recipe exchange. So to get everyone excited (you are all excited right?!!!) I am posting a couple of recipes that I recently discovered that are a hit in my home.

Mississippi Mud Brownies

(I spun my own twist on a recipe I found to create these. Credit for basic brownie recipe goes to Jennifer Appel of Buttercup Bake Shop)

3/4 cup all-pupose flour

3/4 cup baking cocoa

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cut into pieces

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup chopped pecans

3/4 cup white morsels

1/2 cup semi-sweet morsels

1/2 cup milk chocolate morsels

1/4 cup toffee chips

1/4 cup extra-dark morsels

16 - 18 large marshmellows, divided - 12 for top and 4-6 cut into fourths for center layer.

PREHEAT oven to 350ºF. Grease 8-inch-square baking pan.

COMBINE flour, cocoa and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granualted sugar and brown sugar in large bowl unitl creamy. Add 2 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla extract; mix well. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Once batter is mixed well reserve 3/4 cup of batter for later. Spread the remaining batter into prepared baking dish. Place quartered marshmellows an push slightly into batter. Sprinkle 1/3 cup of the chopped pecans, the toffee chips, extra-dark morsels, and 1/2 cup of the white morsels over marshmellows and batter. Beat remaining egg and reserved batter in same large bowl until light in color. Spread evenly over the previous layer **note: this is a thin layer that just barely should cover the previous layer. Don't be concerned if it doesn't spread completely over all the previous layer. BAKE 26-28 min. ***Note you don't want it to be completely done because you have to cook it another 5 min once you complete the top layer. REMOVE from oven and sprinkle with milk chocolate morsels let stand for 5 mins. then spread melted morsels over top. Place the remaining 12 marshmellows whole across the top and now sprinkle with remaining morsels and nuts. BAKE for another 5-7 min depending on how you like your marshmellows. I like mine toasted so I left them in 7 minutes. REMOVE from oven and allow to cool - best served barely warm. Using the marshmellows as a guide cut brownies into squares and serve. These were an ooey gooey yummy treat!!! **Note all the morsel of course harden once completely cooled so you can either warm for 10 seconds in microwave or enjoy the now crumbly delicious mess :)