Best Rick Katzs Brownies For Julia Child Recipes

BROWN BUTTER BROWNIES

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, preferably metal, with nonstick spray. Line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the 2 long sides. Lightly coat with nonstick spray.
• Cook the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until it foams, then browns, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat, set aside and let cool slightly.
• Sift the flour and cocoa powder through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl and set aside.
• Beat the eggs and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on high speed until the eggs begin to foam, about 1 minute. Add the brown sugar and vanilla and continue to beat on high until slightly thickened and creamy, about 1 minute. Reduce the speed to medium-low and slowly pour in the cooled butter (it should still be fluid, but below 125 degrees F or you will cook the eggs) on the side of the bowl so it doesn't splatter. Increase the speed to high and beat until thick and creamy, about 2 minutes. This step is what will give you that shiny, crackled surface on the top of your brownies. Gradually add the cocoa powder mixture and beat until just combined (do not overmix). Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula and continue folding the batter until completely combined.
• Scrape half of batter into the prepared pan. Top with the chocolate, then scrape in the remaining batter to cover and smooth the surface. Bake until the top forms a crust, the brownies are just barely firm and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers between 200 degrees F (for fudgy brownies) and 205 degrees F (for cakey brownies), about 25 minutes; or up to 35 minutes, if using a glass or ceramic baking dish. (Don't let the thermometer touch the bottom of the pan or you will get a much higher reading.)
• Let the brownies cool completely to allow the crumb to set before slicing, 3 hours.
• Use an offset spatula to loosen the brownies from the sides of the pan. Use the parchment overhang to lift brownies out of the pan and cut into 12 squares.

BEST-EVER BROWNIES FROM BAKING WITH JULIA CHILD

Steps:

• Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°. I bake them at a lower oven temp of 330°.
• Sift the flour and salt together; set aside.
• Melt the butter and chocolate together in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently and keeping a watchful eye on the pot to make certain the chocolate doesn't scorch (Alternatively, you can melt the ingredients in the top of a double boiler over, not touching, simmering water.) Add 1 cup of the sugar to the mixture and stir for half a minute, then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
• Pour the mixture into a large bowl.
• Put the remaining 1 cup sugar and the eggs into a bowl and mix or whisk by hand just to combine.
• Little by little, pour half of the sugar and eggs into the chocolate mixture, stirring gently but constantly with a rubber spatula so that the eggs don't set from the heat.
• Fit the whisk attachment to the mixer and whip the remaining sugar and eggs until they are thick, pale, and doubled in volume, about 3 minutes.
• Using the rubber spatula, delicately fold the whipped eggs into the chocolate mixture.
• When the eggs are almost completely incorporated, gently fold in the dry ingredients.
• Pour and scrape the batter in to an unbuttered 9-inch square pan.
• Bake the brownies for 22-26 minutes, during which time they will rise a little and the top will turn dark and dry.
• Cut into the center at about the 22-minute mark to see how the brownies are progressing: they'll be perfect if they're just barely set and still pretty gooey.
• They're still awfully good on the other side of set, so don't worry if you miss the moment on your first try.
• Cool the brownies in the pan on a rack.

KATHARINE HEPBURN'S BROWNIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees.
• Melt butter in saucepan with cocoa and stir until smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes, then transfer to a large bowl. Whisk in eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla.
• In a separate bowl, combine sugar, flour, nuts and salt. Add to the cocoa-butter mixture. Stir until just combined.
• Pour into a greased 8 x 8-inch-square pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Do not overbake; the brownies should be gooey. Let cool, then cut into bars.