Ganache Brownies

This brings back some fond memories of days gone way by .................. I think I got this recipe from a dealer we had at the Primm in Reno, she was French, and came to Reno via Cuba, where she was a wheel dealer at the Hotel Nacional, which I think was run by Myer Lansky. She had also worked at some world class casinos, in one capacity or another.

Bittersweet Brownies topped with a rich French frosting ............

6 ounces of bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup of unsalted butter
2 large eggs
1 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
3/4 cup of all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup of chopped walnuts
7 ounces of semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup of heavy cream

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Butter a 9-inch square pan. Line the bottom with waxed paper and butter the paper. Flour the pan.
3. Melt the bittersweet chocolate and butter in a heavy pan over low heat or in a double boiler over hot water. Cool slightly
4. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs until uniformly yellow. Beat in the sugar until thick. Add the vanilla. Add the chocolate gradually. Sift together, the flour, baking powder and salt and add to the chocolate mixture. Fold in the walnuts.
5. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake about 35 minutes until firm and/or a cake tester comes out clean.
6. Cool in the pan for ten minutes, then remove the brownies and place them on a plate.
7. Chop the semisweet chocolate fine and place in a small heatproof bowl. Slowly bring the cream to a full boil in a small saucepan, stirring frequently. Pour it over the chocolate and whisk until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Chill briefly until it is thickened, about 15 minutes. Spread over the brownies and let cool until a glaze forms on top. Cut the brownies into squares, and enjoy.

The Standard Brownie is a Classic

Many of you know my love for Brownies. Someone asked me about my favorite Brownie, so, here it is. This is the best ............

4 ounces of unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup of butter
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
2. Butter and flour an 8-inch square baking pan
3. Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler over hot water or in a heavy pan over low heat, stirring occasionally; let cool slightly.
4. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs, gradually adding the sugar. Beat until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the chocolate mixture and vanilla and stir in the flour and salt until just blended. Fold in the nuts.
5. Spread evenly in the prepared pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes. Cool completely in the pan and cut into squares.

Keep checking back, more GREAT recipes to come ....... I have collected them for many years. Some are quite old, my Mothers, my Grandmothers quite a variety and many variations.