Brownie Buttons
Source: "Baking" by Dorie Greenspan
From Becky: These things are truly awesome. Don't let the length of the recipe scare you; they're not difficult. Greenspan provides a lot of detail in the write-up.
From Greenspan:
These miniaturized brownies are a sensational after-school snack, a great half-time munchie or a dainty treat at teatime. To dress them up elegantly, dip the button tops in melted white chocolate and serve them in pretty little paper or foil cups. If snacking is more what you have in mind, skip the glaze and just pile them into a bowl.
Grated zest of 1/2 orange (optional)
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
2 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
For the glaze (optional)
2 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter 2 miniature muffin pans (I used cooking spray), each with a dozen cups, and place them on a baking sheet.
If you're using the orange zest, combine the zest and sugar in a small bowl, rubbing them between your fingertips to blend; set aside. Whisk together the flour and salt.
Melt the butter, chocolate and brown sugar in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over very low heat, stirring frequently with a heatproof spatula and keeping an eye on the pan so nothing overheats or burns. When the mixture is smooth, remove from the heat and cool for a minute or two.
Stir the vanilla, egg and the zest, if you're using it, into the chocolate mixture. When the mixture is well-blended, add the flour and stir only until it is incorporated. You should have a smooth, glossy batter.
Spoon the batter into 16 of the muffin cups, using about a teaspoon of batter to fill each cup three-quarters full. Put 1 teaspoon of water in each empty cup.
Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, or until the tops of the buttons spring back when touched. Transfer the pans to racks to cool for 3 minutes before carefully releasing the buttons (I put a wood toothpick between the brownie and the pan to wedge them out gently). Cool to room temperature on the racks.
To make the optional glaze: Melt the chocolate in a small heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. (I melted it in the microwave.) Stir constantly and don't leave the chocolate for even a minute - white chocolate scorches easily. As soon as the chocolate is smooth, remove from the heat.
One by one, dip the tops of the buttons into the chocolate, twirling the buttons so that you get a little swirl at the center of each one and the excess chocolate drips back into the bowl. Refrigerate the buttons for 15 minutes to set the glaze.
Serving: Serve these with milk, coffee or even snifters of single-malt Scotch.
Storing: Covered, these will keep at room temperature overnight (we've had ours out for 3 days now, and they're fine). If you wrap them airtight, you can freeze them for up to 2 months, glazed or not.
Playing around: Substitute lemon zest for the orange or try and equal amount of very finely chopped ginger instead or the zest.
From Becky: These things are truly awesome. Don't let the length of the recipe scare you; they're not difficult. Greenspan provides a lot of detail in the write-up.
From Greenspan:
These miniaturized brownies are a sensational after-school snack, a great half-time munchie or a dainty treat at teatime. To dress them up elegantly, dip the button tops in melted white chocolate and serve them in pretty little paper or foil cups. If snacking is more what you have in mind, skip the glaze and just pile them into a bowl.
Grated zest of 1/2 orange (optional)
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
2 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
For the glaze (optional)
2 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter 2 miniature muffin pans (I used cooking spray), each with a dozen cups, and place them on a baking sheet.
If you're using the orange zest, combine the zest and sugar in a small bowl, rubbing them between your fingertips to blend; set aside. Whisk together the flour and salt.
Melt the butter, chocolate and brown sugar in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over very low heat, stirring frequently with a heatproof spatula and keeping an eye on the pan so nothing overheats or burns. When the mixture is smooth, remove from the heat and cool for a minute or two.
Stir the vanilla, egg and the zest, if you're using it, into the chocolate mixture. When the mixture is well-blended, add the flour and stir only until it is incorporated. You should have a smooth, glossy batter.
Spoon the batter into 16 of the muffin cups, using about a teaspoon of batter to fill each cup three-quarters full. Put 1 teaspoon of water in each empty cup.
Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, or until the tops of the buttons spring back when touched. Transfer the pans to racks to cool for 3 minutes before carefully releasing the buttons (I put a wood toothpick between the brownie and the pan to wedge them out gently). Cool to room temperature on the racks.
To make the optional glaze: Melt the chocolate in a small heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. (I melted it in the microwave.) Stir constantly and don't leave the chocolate for even a minute - white chocolate scorches easily. As soon as the chocolate is smooth, remove from the heat.
One by one, dip the tops of the buttons into the chocolate, twirling the buttons so that you get a little swirl at the center of each one and the excess chocolate drips back into the bowl. Refrigerate the buttons for 15 minutes to set the glaze.
Serving: Serve these with milk, coffee or even snifters of single-malt Scotch.
Storing: Covered, these will keep at room temperature overnight (we've had ours out for 3 days now, and they're fine). If you wrap them airtight, you can freeze them for up to 2 months, glazed or not.
Playing around: Substitute lemon zest for the orange or try and equal amount of very finely chopped ginger instead or the zest.
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