wedding dress

photo via simply recipes
This week I went with Simply Recipes Suzanne's Best Brownies recipe. I was intrigued by the substitution of vanilla extract with almond extract. The recipe was easy but I did end up tacking an additional 10 minutes to the cooking time. The brownies got mixed reviews. The texture and density of the brownies was determined by all to be the best yet. The flavor was disputed, loved by some but not by others. Personally, I thought the almond extract was overpowering. Substituting vanilla extract back might make it a contender for the grand prize. Overall, I rate these three and a half stars with a potential of five stars when made with vanilla.

This week we tried the Fudgy, Chewy, Cakey brownies found on My Baking Addiction's blog. They are very rich but have a more traditional brownie flavor. I didn't cook them quite long enough so they didn't set all the way but they were still a fan favorite. The tasters rated them first amongst those tried so far. Four and a half stars!

P.S. One more day to enter the giveaway!

This weekend we baked up a batch of Martha's Double-Chocolate Brownies. They definitely had a more cake-like texture, they were not chewy in the least. They used a mixture of cocoa and bittersweet chocolate which made for a rich brownie, which I liked, my Mother did not. I put them in the fridge to see if they would be better cold, I think they were.

Overall, two and a half stars.

My pictures are struggling. Last weekend I made the Sundae Brownies from Lizzie Writes. It is a little bit harder to give these a direct comparison to the last ones because they had ice cream and chocolate sauce on them (the chocolate sauce was delicious). They were a chewy brownie and didn't have as much of a dark chocolate taste as the last stop. Overall I would give them 3.5 stars, a little lower than four because they stuck to the pan.

First stop: Best Cocoa Brownies from Smitten Kitchen

I thought I took a picture of the final product but I must not have saved it. Regardless observe the poor man's double boiler.

These brownies were terrific. The first bite made me a little skeptical and the batter was not as sweet as boxed brownies but they grew on me fast. Comments from my taster friends were that they had the perfect chewy texture that most homemade brownies lack. While everyone liked them they didn't beat out Ghiradelli boxed brownies because they have more of a dark chocolate taste from the cocoa.

I give them four stars.


Added stops to the tour:
Sundae Brownies by Lizzy Writes
Pillsbury Almond Fudge Brownie by Captive Creativity
Fudgy, Chewy, Cakey Brownies by My Baking Addiction

via buzzle
Most people will tell you that homemade brownies will never beat the box. I have a hard time accepting this theory. I have been bookmarking brownie recipes I have seen across the web and will be putting them to the test. Well really my little sister will be doing most of the cooking and commenting, she is the brownie queen after all. Here are the recipes she (and sometimes I) will be trying:


York Brownies from Try This!
Brownies from Epicurious
Sea Salt Caramel Brownies from She's Becoming DoughMesstic
Julia Child's Brownies from CuisineNIE
Caramel Swirled Brownies from CuisineNIE
Double Chocolate Brownies from Martha Stewart
Brownie Candy Cups from Bakerella
Best Cocoa Brownies from Smitten Kitchen
Classic Brownies from Smitten Kitchen
Cookies & Cream Swirled Brownies w/Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache from Picky Palate
Easiest Brownies in the World from Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Deep Dark Chocolate Brownies from Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Suzanne's Best Brownies from Simply Recipes
Salted Caramel Brownies from Pioneer Woman
Mexican Chocolate Crunch Brownies from Newlywed Cooking
Sweet and Salty Candy Bar Brownies from Newlywed Cooking
Brooke's Best Bombshell Brownies from Allrecipes.com

Have any suggestions for other brownie recipes you have seen or tried? Let me know. Let the Tour de Brownie begin!