Posts from June 2014.

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Midnight brownies

June 10th  •  Posted in Recipe

Well, this is a live recipe post. I woke up two hours ago at 3 am due to how hot it is, while my eczema doesn’t leave me a little respite and with a way too philosophical conversation with my boyfriend from last night still in mind which is really troubling me right now in the middle of the night. I just watched a few YouTube videos but at a certain point when your body is awake for more than 1 hour, it just won’t go back to sleep that easily and on the other hand my belly is wanting some food so badly. I thought it could be the best time for some brownies baking session, and since brownies are just my favorite thing to bake and eat, and that I just never shared my own recipe, I thought I could bring you in the kitchen with me.

I used:

  • 200g dark chocolate 
  • 80g butter 
  • 4 Medium eggs 
  • 300g brown sugar 
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 
  • 1 teaspoon coffee powder 
  • 90g whole wheat flour 
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 

First thing preheating the oven to 150°C, then rounding up all the ingredients and starting melting the chocolate and butter together with a bain marie. I hate when the weather is this hot but the chocolate really takes just a few minutes to melt down which is good. Can I please have a spoon? Stirring, blending well with a spoon while on a medium heat to avoid the mixture to burn. When it’s all melted I just turn off the heat and leave the mixture there to cool a little bit while mixing together the rest of the ingredients. In a big bowl I’ve mixed the eggs with the brown sugar, vanilla extract and coffee powder and blended super well with a spoon. Don’t forget that coffee powder even if you don’t like coffee as you won’t be able to taste it but it really enhances the chocolate flavor and makes everything a lot better and unique. Then I added the chocolate and butter mixture to the egg mixture and had a blend out of it as well before adding the flour and the baking powder and mix everything together again and again. Then I’ve just taken my new super cool brownies baking tin and lined it with a foil of baking paper (not wet as I find when it’s dry my brownies have the best consistency and will be easier to cut into pieces and remove from the baking tin) and then throw in my brownies mixture and leveled it with my spoon. Time for the oven at 150°C for 30/35 minutes but I always suggest to check them out with a toothpick in the middle of the tin when 25 minutes are passed. The toothpick has to be dry but not too much when you pull it out, and with all probabilities your brownies won’t be ready after only 25 minutes but we all have different ovens and you never know. With brownies it’s all about achieving the perfect texture, not too wet and greasy but still soft and gooey, so you really have to remember to check the oven pretty often. Off to licking the spoons now!

When they start to crack on the surface, then you know you did it right and your brownies are almost ready. When they do, pull them out of the oven and leave them cool for a little bit before cutting them into big squares. I know, you’ll be so tempted and most of the times I just can’t wait and have to have a bite out of them when they’re still hot and way too wet, but we all know brownies are prefect if only slightly warm, when they have sat there to rest and come together. As a reward for having been good this time (have I?) I think I deserve an extra little square paired with some soy vanilla ice cream. I know it sounds crazy I woke up in the middle of the night and thought to just go in the kitchen and start baking, but sometimes you just feel like there’s no way you’ll be back to sleep peacefully any time soon and you have to do something else instead. Also having your kitchen all for yourself is one of the best things if you love baking like I do, you can take your time and really relax while mixing and blending and cracking those eggs, which I can never do on day time – and hopefully you can treat yourself to these delicious brownies as well. Please let me know if you try this recipe and how they turn out!

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  • Proverò a farli! Questi quindi sono al cacao ma con un pizzico di caffè, devono essere buonissimi!

    • Sì esatto, sono fantastici!

  • Ouch, I know the feeling! Ever since the weather has gotten warmer, I can’t fall asleep and stay awake most of the night. It sucks. Making brownies will definitely make it better 🙂 lovely post!

    • Ah, these brownies definitely made my night better! I hate summer when it’s this hot! x

  • Oh damn, these look so good! I also struggle sleeping when the weather is really hot, especially doesn’t help that my dog always wakes me up early!

    Hayley

    Water Painted Dreams xo

    • I hate summer when it’s this hot, I just need my sleeping hours! They’re delicious btw 🙂 x

  • NL

    Mm those look so good. Pity I don’t have all the ingredients because I could seriously go for one of those right now. 🙂
    – J

    aesthetetheblog.blogspot.com

    • They are so good, hope you try them! x

  • They look amazing! I’ve never heard of coffee powder in brownies.
    Eczema is the worst 🙁

    Cassie Will
    yescassiewill.com

    • I always use coffee powder in any chocolate based dessert, it just beautifully enhances the chocolate flavor! x

  • Faye

    Those look heavenly! Nothing quite beats a brownie for a midnight snack in my opinion 😉 the only ones I’ve ever tired before have been beetroot so will have to try these ones for more of a classical recipe http://www.farfelue.com/

    • Hope you like them! x

  • These look delicious! I also baked some chocolate treats combining my two favourite things! Peanut butter and chocolate. Have a look if you have a min! They don’t actually require any baking 😉

    Sarah
    http://www.daisychainsanddreamers.com

    • Oh will take a look! x

  • Be

    Those look delicious!!!!

    xx, Be || lovefrombe

  • These look so good! <3 I have n improvised brownie recipe for the microwave.. which turns out quite good with the exception that the crust hardens up a lot! Need to get a good oven!

    Laura Mercier Custom Artist Portfolio Review | TheConscienceFund | Bloglovin’

    • Oh I need to try a good brownies microwave recipe sometimes! x

  • Definitely going to have to make these brownies next time I cant sleep

    Beth x

    mermaidindisguise.blogspot.co.uk

    • Ah definitely! Let me know how you like them 🙂 x

  • Nigella does a lot of her baking in the middle of the night too, did yours taste as good (perhaps even better!) than hers? I suffer with chronic insomnia but if I started baking each night that I couldn’t sleep I’d be such a fatty! They look delicious!

    Hayley-Eszti | http://www.hayleyeszti.blogspot.com

    • Haha! Yep, baking every night would be a bit of a problem – however they really are delicious and I really enjoyed my midnight baking session! x

  • Oh my goodness, these look incredible! I’m going to have to take note of the recipe. I love brownies! x

    http://www.mappedoutblog.co.uk

    • Glad you like them, hope you try the recipe 🙂 x

  • ninegrandstudent

    These look absolutely amazing! I definitely understand the feeling of having to get up and do something, usually I read but I might have to take to midnight baking! x

    http://ninegrandstudent.co.uk/

    • I usually read too but sometimes you just have to do something different! x

  • The London Turtle

    OH MY GOODNESS those look INCREDIBLE! Saving this recipe as we speak 🙂

    • Ah thank you, they’re delicious! Hope you try the recipe x

  • Diana

    These look ever so tasty and making me really hungry, may have to try them out myself 🙂

    http://www.aretrobombshellsloves.blogspot.co.uk/

  • I made these brownies for my friend’s hen party and everybody was in awe of them!
    They were so full of flavour and so chewy! I definitely have to make them again 🙂
    However, I have to add, that I used about 50 grams less sugar and they were just fine 😉