Brownie Points

This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

The New York Sun

The best way to deal with a scandalous admission is to come right out with it. So here it is: I don’t much care for pumpkin pie. Saying that on the eve of Thanksgiving is practically treasonous, but what I like around the holidays is the same thing I like the rest of the year: chocolate.


Even if you don’t agree, some of your holiday guests probably do. When you put out a plate of assorted cookies, the chocolate ones always disappear first, right? With that in mind, a few weeks ago I checked out the Chocolate Show, the annual trade show at the Metropolitan Pavillion where dozens of chocolatiers showcase their wares. My mission: find a special chocolate treat to make for the holidays.


I sampled assorted chocolate truffles, chocolate ganache, chocolate covered espresso beans, and European-style hot chocolate. I saw chocolate fountains, chocolate sculptures, and portraits painted entirely from chocolate. I attended a chocolate tasting that made some of the wine tasting scenes from “Sideways” seem pedestrian by comparison.


Still, I wasn’t finding much inspiration in the realm of baked goods. But then, off in a corner, I saw an exhibitor touting something called Supernatural Brownies. The booth was unmanned, so I helped myself to one of the brownies and took a nibble. And then another nibble. I’d already eaten a lot of chocolate by that point in the day, but it was hard to stop eating this brownie.


Best of all, there was no need to guess at the recipe – it was printed on the package. It turned out that the brownies were the creation of Nick Malgieri, director of the pastry and baking program at the Institute of Culinary Education (formerly Peter Kump’s New York Cooking School). If this is the kind of thing they’re teaching there, I’d say it’s the very definition of higher education.


Brownies, incidentally, are an American invention – unlike pumpkin pies, which can be traced back to England. (Take that, Thanksgiving traditionalists!) According to “The Encyclopedia of American Food & Drink,” the term “brownies” first appeared in 1896, but it referred to “a browned molasses confection containing no chocolate.” The first cocoa-centric use of the term appears to have come in 1906, which means we’re coming up on brownies’ centennial year.


You can almost taste a century’s worth of development in Mr. Malgieri’s brownies (see accompanying recipe), which are sweet but not cloying, rich but not heavy, and stake out a good middle ground between fudgy and cake like. The recipe allows you to use semisweet and/or bittersweet chocolate, so you can adjust the flavor to your liking. Nuts are optional. And as is my habit with all brownie recipes, I went a step further by adding some instant espresso powder, to create an undercurrent of mocha flavor.


The only problem with Mr. Malgieri’s brownies is that the recipe calls for them to sit in the pan overnight before being cut up and served, so you can’t eat them right away. But trust me: It’s worth the wait. And you can leave a little extra batter in the bowl to enjoy in the interim.


Supernatural Brownies
Adapted from Nick Malgieri


1 lb. unsalted butter
1 lb. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, cut into 1 /4 -inch pieces
8 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 lb. granulated sugar
1 lb. dark brown sugar
1/2 ounce vanilla extract
1/2 lb. all-purpose flour
1 lb. chopped walnuts and/or pecans (optional)
1/2 cup instant espresso powder (optional)


1 Preheat oven to 350* degrees and set rack on middle level. Butter a 13-by-18-inch baking pan, line it with foil or parchment, and then butter the lining. Set prepared pan aside.


2 Bring a saucepan of water to a boil and turn off heat. Combine butter and chocolate in a bowl and set over pan of water, stirring occasionally, until butter and chocolate are melted.


3 In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and then whisk in salt, sugars, and vanilla. Stir in chocolate-butter mixture, add nuts and espresso powder if desired, and then fold in flour.


4 Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake until top has formed a shiny crust and batter is moderately firm, about an hour. Cool in pan on a rack. Wrap pan in in plastic wrap and set aside overnight.


5 To unmold brownies, place a cutting board over the pan, invert, and remove pan. Remove foil or parchment paper, cover brownie cake with another cutting board, and invert again to turn cake right side up. Trim away edges and cut into 2-inch squares, for a yield of about 50 brownies.


The New York Sun

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