Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Fat Witch Brownies

Fat Witch Bakery Brownies
Fat Witch Brownies

One of Oprah's favorite things are treats from Fat Witch Bakery (their website opens with music). They published a cookbook in 2010 and it is filled with many yummy bars and brownies. I started with their signature item: The Fat Witch Brownie.

And just let me say...November 30th?! What? It's December 2011 tomorrow? How in the world did that happen?!

Fat Witch Brownies collage
The recipe is very simple! Melt chocolate and butter. Mix up some eggs and sugar...and bake away!

Fat Witch Bakery Brownies
When my official testers (my library co-workers) tried a brownie, one of them said, "Oh, a cocoa brownie." But this brownie doesn't have any cocoa in it. It's definitely more cakey than fudgy.

Recipe:
Printable recipe here
Fat Witch Brownies
Adapted from "Fat Witch Brownies" book by Patricia Helding & Bryna Levin, 2010, page 26-27. Find the book in your library (WorldCat) or on Amazon

14 Tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp bittersweet chocolate chips (I used 120 grams of 72% Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate - see my notes)
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar (I used 250 grams sugar)
4 large eggs, room temp
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp unbleached flour (I used 88 g flour)
Pinch of salt

Oven Temp: 350 F. Be sure to preheat.
Pan: 9 x 9 square baking pan

1. Grease and flour the baking pan. I lined it with parchment paper and sprayed it with a bit of Pam with Flour.
2. Chocolate measuring: I did not have bittersweet chips, but I did have a Trader Joe's bar of 72% chocolate. I ended up weighing semi-sweet chips and then cutting enough of the 72% chocolate to match the weight. Oh, how I wish all cookbooks just gave us the weight (especially since the measurement 1/2 cup + 2 T signifies that this was originally a weight measure and they had to convert it to measuring cups). You don't need to have chips because you are melting the chocolate so weights would have been great to have. Hint, Hint to all cookbook publishers!)
3. Melt butter and chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently. Set aside to cool. (I melted the butter and chocolate in a double boiler (large bowl over low simmering water that doesn't touch the bowl)).
4. Cream sugar, eggs and vanilla together. Add cooled chocolate mixture and mix until well-blended.
5. Measure flour and salt and then sift together directly into the chocolate mixture. Mix batter gently until well combined and no trace of the dry ingredients remains. (I used a spatula and folded in the flour mixture).
6. At this point, if desired, stir in any extras like walnuts. (I did not include nuts)
7. Spread batter evenly in the prepared baking pan and bake 33 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean or with only crumbs, not batter, on it. (I baked mine for 33 minutes...probably could have taken them out at 31 or 32 minutes).
8. Remove from oven and cool on rack for at least 1 hour.

11 comments:

  1. I love this book! The shortbread brownies are my husband's favorite.

    I really like the idea that the book fits into a 9x9 inch pan to give to someone as a gift.

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  2. They look so moreish! I love this book! I've made these and the peanut butter bars (amazing!) and am making the candy cane brownies next week. I know very precise, but I'm staggering my Christmas baking! ;0)

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  3. Yum, Brownies...my weakness! My mouth is watering just looking at your photo of them....Yum, Brownies!

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  4. Thanks for writing about my bakery and my cookbook. If you want the Fat Witch brownies fudgier, leave out one egg.
    Best Witches for Happy Holidays, Pat (owner of Fat Witch)

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  5. These look just lovely Mary. I have the book in my collection and it is delightful.

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  6. bookmarked!
    thanks for this one!
    great gift idea too!

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  7. I received this book earlier on in the year, and have yet to make these brownies - - they've been called the best brownies ever!!

    I'm a little scared to make them, in fear that I eat the entire tray (all in the name of research of course :))

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  8. Ooo..sounds good! hmm... Seems like Fat Witch Bakery likes cakey brownies. I made their pumpkin brownies and liked them, although my friends seemed to like them even more than I did: http://corriefood.blogspot.com/2008/12/fat-witch-bakerys-pumpkin-brownie.html

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  9. These look outrageously, dangerously good. Thank you for the heads up!

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  10. hello food librarian,

    these look awesome.

    after a visit to the bakery, i'm definitely tempted to try their recipes. i've linked to your post from my blog:
    http://spilledmylk.tumblr.com/post/15619824300/brownies-on-bromsticks-fat-witch-bakery

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