Friday, February 27, 2009

Salted Fudge Brownies

Salted fudge brownies were a sweet treat for the Oscars party last Sunday, and they accompanied the roasted red pepper and goat cheese tarts. I saw these brownies on One Ordinary Day, and they originated at Food and Wine. A fudgy texture in a salted sweet drew me in right away, and I couldn’t wait to try them. They’re very simple to make, chocolate was melted with butter, and the rest of the ingredients were stirred in one by one. I doubled the recipe, and it was still very easy to stir together. The batter was spread in a pan, smoothed, sprinkled with sea salt, and the salt was swirled into the top of the batter. After baking and cooling, it was time to cut. The top had a nice crispness to it, and I was amazed at how tender the inside was as each brownie was cut.

These looked great, and the crunchy sea salt on top was alluring, but I wasn’t sure how serious chocolate and brownie fans would react to them. I’m slightly chocolate-ambivalent which makes me a less than ideal judge of brownies. I was anxious to hear everyone’s reactions at the party. And guess what? The Academy did not have enough love for Mickey Rourke, but these were very well-loved brownies. I’m thrilled to report that I received numerous, unsolicited comments about the deliciousness and fudginess of them. The rich chocolate flavor enhanced by the sea salt was much appreciated by all. The brownies disappeared quickly, and I’ll be keeping this recipe for repeat use.


25 comments:

  1. Love salt in my baked cooks.
    Just made Jacques Torres' choc chip cookies with extra salt!
    Delcious!

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  2. I agree, a little salt paired with sweet is so good, and I am a fudgy brownie fan. I can't wait to try these!

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  3. I'm definitely in the fudgy brownie camp (vs. the cakey camp), and these look awesome. Love the sea salt.

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  4. Thanks for the link to my blog about the salted fudge brownies!
    Aren't they the best brownies you've ever tasted? They absolutely win, hands-down, in my book.
    Glad you got great reviews on them too.
    Michelle
    http://oneordinaryday.wordpress.com/

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  5. These look wonderful - love the sweet and salty flavors together.

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  6. oh yes indeed, these look perfect

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  7. I'm definitely a fan of fudgey over cakey brownies and these look awesome!

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  8. Lisa, Lisa, Lisa why do you do this to me!! OMG these look delicious! I can see the richness of the chocolate and the denseness of these brownies. To die for!

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  9. Sweet, salty, and fudgy, what a perfect combination. They look terrific. So YUM!

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  10. The chocoholic in me jumped off my seat in anticipation of making these! Your pic is so perfect I found myself licking the screen....

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  11. Those brownies look so dense and chocolaty and good!

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  12. wow, they sure look very fudgy and moist! yum yum!

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  13. fudgy is most definitely the word to describe how these look. also, i'm surprised to hear that you're ambivalent to chocolate! you're a stronger woman than i. :)

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  14. I love sweet and salty, and your pictures are gorgeous! Thanks for sharing!

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  15. Luv the pairing of sweet chocolate and sea salt for brownies. Simply amazing. ;)

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  16. Great idea! I recently made a pecan pie with bacon in it to cut through the sweetness. Brownies are another dessert I struggle with because they're just so sweet. Love the use of salt here.

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  17. Your brownies makes me drooling! I love the idea of some salt too!

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  18. I love salt with chocolate so your brownies sound heavenly.

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  19. Love this salt idea! Salt and chocolate are the best! I'll have to try on my next batch of brownies!

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  20. These look amazing! Can't wait to try them!

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  21. These fudge are awfully mouth-watering! And would keep me busy in the kitchen, again. I think this would be just perfect for my kids who are crazy for it!

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  22. I have a question:

    When you say you doubled the recipe and then put it all in a pan, what size pan did you use? Did you bake for the same amount of time?

    Yours turned out seemingly denser, and exactly how I'd want my brownie to look, taste, feel. They look fantastic!

    Thank you. =]

    -S

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  23. Shannon: I baked the doubled recipe in a 9" x 13" pan. I don't believe I extended the baking time, but just check them with a cake tester for done-ness after 35 minutes.

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  24. Can I use this VERY NICE photo for our Jammin' Jeddi album cover? The album is titled Fudgy Fridge and I have had quite a time trying to find a photo. I will link to your blog from mine (http://www.anikinsblog.blogspot.com) if you allow me to use it. So, how about it? Can I use this fudge photo or does it have a copyright?

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  25. Thanks a billion, Lisa! I will definitely give you the credit for the photo. This is an awesome photo and is just what I need.
    Thanks again, and your blog has really nice formatting by the way.

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