Question about a brownie recipe I was just given. It is from a friend who's MIL just passed away.

michael-in-phoenix

Well-known member
She wants to make these for her husband, as it is the recipe from his Mom that he loved growing up.

My question is about the chocolate. I suppose she meant 2 - 1 oz squares of unsweetened chocolate. Do you think I'm right?

Brownies

1/2 cup shortening

2 - 1 oz. chocolate

3/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup pecans

Melt shortening & chocolate together over low flame. Cool. Put flour, baking powder, salt together. In medium bowl beat eggs until light - add sugar - then chocolate mixture - then vanilla - add flour mixture and nuts - mix til all blended - do not beat. Place in greased ring mold. Bake 30 to 35 minutes at 350 degrees.

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With only one cup of sugar, do you think she might have meant milk chocolate? She wasn't a sophisticated cook, so by not designating it as "unsweetened", do you think she used regular sweetened chocolate?

I guess I could bake a couple of batches and let her son decide which one tastes best, but with all the other baking I'm supposed to do, I'd like to get it right the first time!

Michael

 
I looked up the proportions on the Bakers 1 bowl recipe and this is kind of a decreased

recipe of that, kind of. not really half or 2/3 but for 4 oz chocolate they have 2 cups sugar. I'll add the ingredients just for comparison. and did she always bake it in a "ring mold"? seems like it would go into a 9 or 8" square pan.

pkg. (4 oz.) BAKER'S Unsweetened Chocolate
3/4 cup butter or margarine
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
1 cup coarsely chopped PLANTERS Pecans

 
I also found a recipe online that is pretty close to the same proportions. It uses...

...two one-ounce squares of unsweetened chocolate, melted.

I'm pretty sure that was the basic standard back in the 50's and 60's.

Michael

 
I'm curious to know what you'll bake this in----what kind of ring mold? smaller than a bundt?

 
I haven't seen it yet. I'm baking this with my niece. It's for her Dad. His Mom...

...passed away a couple of months ago, and we're going to make it for him this weekend.

His Mom always baked this in a ring mold. He saw one at an antique store a few years ago and bought it. I haven't seen it yet.

I'll take a couple of pics and report back.

Michael

 
I'm liking the slices of brownie idea. just ordered the brownie pan from pampered chef. individual

squares for lots of edges and the "mini" cakes that I like so much.

 
Pics of the ring mold (very basic) and your assessment is exactly why his Mom did it that way.

She wanted more surface area for crunchy edges. He said his Mom would slice the brownies when they were still slightly warm from the oven and let them cool in slices.

Sometimes she would leave the ring whole and plop some big scoops of vanilla ice cream in the middle and let the kids go at it.

Michael

(Sorry for the orientation of the photos. I can't seem to get them to rotate. I'm sure you get the idea!)

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t159/Storehouse78/cupcakes/photo1_zpsa0295d27.jpg

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t159/Storehouse78/cupcakes/photo2_zps5c8c10db.jpg

 
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