Wednesday, February 8, 2006

Brownies say, 'I love you'

Forget about those crummy gifts for Valentine's Day. Opt instead for a crumbly, or chewy, confection of affection.

KAREN FERNAU

The Arizona Republic

There are three kinds of brownie fans:

1. Those who like theirs soft and moist.

2. Those who prefer chewy, dense varieties.

3. Those who will eat any brownie, anywhere, anytime, flavored with anything.

This is for group No. 3.

In honor of Valentine's Day, we asked three pastry chefs to mimic a box of luscious chocolates by adding unexpected flavors to the basic brownie. The results are rich and impressive.

"A box of chocolates says love in a romantic way, while a brownie says love in a warm, family and kid kind of way," says Eileen Spitalny, founder of Fairytale Brownies (www.brownies.com) in Chandler.

Here are some ways to say "I love you" with brownies.

HEART-SHAPED CHEESECAKE BROWNIES

For the cheesecake:

1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 pound cream cheese
1/3 cup sour cream
3 eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a mixing bowl, blend sugar, cornstarch and cream cheese (add the cream cheese in thirds), mixing until smooth. Add the sour cream and mix. Slowly add eggs until well mixed. Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add heavy cream, lemon juice and vanilla. Mix thoroughly. Scrape down the bowl again.

For the brownies:

4 sticks butter
1 pound unsweetened chocolate, chopped
4 1/2 cups sugar
10 eggs
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Melt butter. Put chopped chocolate in a medium bowl, pour butter over it and stir well. In a large bowl, mix sugar and eggs until smooth, being careful not to add too much air. Slowly add chocolate mixture to egg mixture and scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add flour and baking powder to the bowl and mix well.

For a graham cracker crust:

3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 stick butter
10 ounces graham cracker crumbs (about 2 1/2 cups)
(Optional) special equipment
4 (6-inch) heart-shaped molds, greased

Blend sugar and butter until light and creamy. Add crumbs and mix well.

Place 1/2 cup graham cracker mix on bottom of a mold. Spread evenly and pat down firmly. Repeat with the rest of the molds.

Fold 1/2 of the cheesecake mixture into all of the brownie mixture. Mix well. Divide this batter equally among the molds. Divide remaining cheesecake batter into 4 portions and swirl through brownie mixture for design. Bake at 300 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.

Makes 4 heart-shaped brownies

Source: Joan O'Connor, owner of Honey Moon Suites, Tempe

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