Luxury Brownies (with secret recipe)
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Dearest readers, this week I’d like to share with you my secret recipe for BROWNIES that I sell on my stall.
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The Brownies War:
As you can imagine, brownies being so popular, there are many stalls selling them at my market (I counted ten stalls/ shops). It’s big headed of me to say this I know, but, I’m proud to say that mine always sell-out no problem. I make tonnes of it too - about 30 chunky slices per week - & on a week when I know the business will be good (ie: sunny weekends, & Christmas weekend), I make 40 - 50 slices, & they still go.
Because of this, I briefly debated wether to share this recipe online like this, but…, what the heck, I’ve got enough ‘regulars’ devoted to mine, & it’s competitively priced. Even if someone do a copycat, I’m confident that it won’t affect my sales!
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The history of Brownies:
Obviously, the name comes from the colour of this cookie/ cake. The origins, on the otherhand, is uncertain - but folklore has it that it was created by accident by a careless cook who’d forgotten to add baking powder to the chocolate cake. (Many origins of cakes are invented by careless cooks! Tarte Tatin was also created similarly.)
The first brownie recipe was published by Fannie Merrit Farmer in 1896, which calls for a nut tobe embedded in the centre. All early brownies contained chopped nuts too.
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LUXURY BROWNIES RECIPE
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These brownies are ’seriously’ the BEST. I can assure you. Wanna know why? Because it’s got plenty of delicious nuts (pistachio, walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans) in them, & it is double chocolatey, as it uses both cocoa & solid chocolates in the recipe - which is unusual, when most recipes call for just ‘either or’.
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Texture: moist, dense & fudgy.
Difficulty: easy as pie.
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Ingredients:
230g Butter, roughly cubed
300g Sugar (Granulated or Castor)
200g Whole eggs (approximately four) whisked up
230g Dark Chocolate - in small pellet form or chopped finely so it melts quickly
140g Flour
40g Cocoa Powder
200g of nuts of your choice (pistachio, walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans - You can use just one type or use all four types like I do. They add different crunchy textures to every fudgy bite, which makes the brownie interesting til the last bite)
20cm square baking tin
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Prepare:
a. Butter the baking tin. Then line the bottom & the sides with baking paper.
b. Sift together the flour & the cocoa powder.
c. Have the chocolates ready in a large mixing bowl.
d. Leave aside some nuts to decorate the surface of the brownies with (in my opinion, walnuts look best).
e. Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
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Method:
1. Melt the butter completely in a large pot.
2. Add the sugar. Dissolve.
3. Pour the egg mixture & mix well with a whisk (make sure the hot butter doesn’t cook the egg in to an omlette).
4. Pour the hot mixture over the chocolates in a bowl. Mix thoroughly & make sure all the chocolates have dissolved (if you still have lumps of chocolates left, zap it at 10 second intervals in the microwave until it melts).
5. Spatula in the flour & the cocoa powder. Mix until no traces of flour can be seen.
6. Mix in the nuts. (Make sure you leave some aside for decorating the top with).
7. Pour the mixture in to the prepared tin.
8. Evenly decorate some more nuts on the top surface. (Make sure each slice would have a decorative nut)
9. Bake in the oven (that has been pre-heated at 180 degrees) for 25 - 30 minutes. It’s cooked when the edges have gone slightly dry, the top is shiny & has cracked. The centre of the brownie shoudn’t be wobbly when shook. Remember: the toothpick method won’t work on this fudgy brownie!
10. Leave aside to cool. Don’t cut until they’ve reached room temperature, or even better leave it untouched for a WHOLE DAY to rest - I can promise you, it’ll taste better tenfold.
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Note:
This recipe is versatile - instead of nuts, you can put pretty much anything in there - like dried fruit such as dried cherries, or fresh fruits like raspberry. Baking is meant to be fun & so don’t go out-of-your-way to buy the nuts if you haven’t got it (as nuts can be expensive). Use whatever that is in your store cupboard & experiment! like, be creative with sliced almonds & spell a letter on the surface!
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Those brownies look outta this world Tamami!
I’ve just returned home from an hour in the gym and would kill (had I the energy spare), for a slab of that brown joy right now. I don’t suppose you home deliveries……? Love to all
Comment by martyn - March 5, 2007 9:59 pm
I’m missing a ‘do’ there. please forgive me.
Comment by martyn - March 5, 2007 10:00 pm
Giggle…! Oh my dearest Martyn!! How we miss your humour & company… Promise us you’d visit soon, alright?! Love, t xxx
Comment by Tamami - March 5, 2007 10:05 pm
Thanks for the kind words Tamami. You truly are as sweet as your creations (does Dirk read this?) :0 Hi Dirk (the boyfriend)
It would be a joy to experince your boundless hospitality once more, so consider your invitation accepted. x
Comment by martyn - March 5, 2007 10:26 pm
T,
No call again from you or Claire this week so I thought I’d try your recipe out to see me through next week. (Don’t worry I’m not about to stop being a customer!) I made a cherry and macadamia nut version which were good. . . but not quiet great.
I had them in the oven for 25mins but I think they were a bit over done. I have a fan oven, maybe this is why?
B.
Comment by Barny - March 18, 2007 7:56 pm
Hi there barny!
Yeah, last Saturday was fantastic in terms of sales & sold out no problem! Ofcourse, I’d be calling you if there were any…
Cherry & macademia nut combo sounds tasty!!
Once, my brownies & cakes used to be over-done, because my old oven was not precise with the temperature - ie; I’d set it at 180 degrees, but inside it is 190… Since then, I bought an oven thermometer , and have figured out what exactly my oven temperature is inside. So maybe I can suggest you get one too?
My stupid old oven also had ‘heat-spots’, & would be hotter in just one end of the oven… which cause my cakes to brown more on just that side… it is very annoying…
It shouldn’t be a problem wether it is a fan oven I think - mine is also a fan oven too!
Good Luck with your next batch!
Comment by Tamami - March 18, 2007 9:50 pm
Hi Tamami
Thanks you so much for sharing your brownie recipe. I used to have a fantastic recipie a few years back, but then I lost it and I’ve been trying to find a replacement one ever since, and I think yours just about fits the bill. I made some almond brownies at the weekend, and they are so yummy :-)
I also have a problem with oven temperature and keep forgetting to buy myself an oven thermometer. Can you imagine, the oven in our house doesn’t even have all the usual temperature markings on the dial, just 175 and then it jumps to 200, and then 225! So I have to guess where to set it each time, it’s a bit hit and miss!
Kate
x
Comment by Kate - March 21, 2007 5:09 pm
Hi Kate! Thanks for trying the recipe! I’m glad you liked it. Yeah, getting the temperature right in the oven is pretty much the most vital part of the baking process - if you wanna see the fruits of your labour - so it really is important to get an oven thermometer!
It takes the guessing out!
Comment by Tamami - March 21, 2007 6:15 pm
Hi Tamami,
I’m a newcomer to your blog and I love that you are sharing your tried and true recipes. I’m a baker (muffins mainly) in my hometown in Ireland and when I started a blog I was unsure about posting my recipes too. But I figured if someone wanted to get up half an hour before they went to bed to bake for a living then they have my blessing.
Looking forward to future posts!
Comment by Laura - March 26, 2007 7:54 pm
Hello Laura!! Wow, thank you for visiting my blog! It’s nice to get a fellow foodie blogger to comment here! I’ve visited your blog & it seems like we have many other things in common too - like doing small scale catering business aswell as being a mummy. - Good luck!!
Comment by tamami - March 26, 2007 8:21 pm
Hello there! I just discovered your blog through the Delicious Days link and loved it! It is really amazing that you shared your perfected secret recipe. I love the fact that everything happens in just one pot. Cleaning up takes a lot of time. It is also very helpful that you provided step by step pictures. Many thanks again! I will stop by frequently…
Cenk
Comment by Cenk - March 27, 2007 10:29 pm
Dear Cenk, thank you for your lovely words! I’ve just visited your site & noticed that you’ve included mine in your list of blogs!! Hey, thanks! And your swan choux pastry looks gorgeous - it’s something I’ve been meaning to try myself (I think it’ll look great on my stall), so it was a very interesting read indeed!
Comment by Tamami - March 27, 2007 11:01 pm
Hi Tamami,
I found your recipe through The Guardian’s website - and it looks fab! I’m usually more of a Spicy Plum or Apple & Sultana Cake kinda gal but feel it’s time I went back to brownies! I’ll be popping to the shop to stock up on a variety of nuts, then will have all I need to give your recipe a try. Fingers crossed they’re at least nearly as good as yours!
Katie
Comment by Katie - June 5, 2007 8:42 am
Thank you Katie for your kind words! Good luck with the baking!
Comment by Tamami - June 5, 2007 9:29 am
I might just need to fly to England to try these! They look so yummy and have all my favorite nuts in them. London for a brownie? If people fly to California for an In-Out burger, I can fly for a brownie. :)
Comment by Jerry - June 12, 2007 2:54 pm
Hi ya Jerry. thanx! I’m glad a proffesional photographer like youself think that my brownies look good in my picture. I’m so crap at photography, I worry that I’m not doing these brownies any justice…! If only these brownies had wings, to fly to you in the States, so that you can take a picture instead of me!
Comment by tamami - June 12, 2007 6:38 pm
Great looking brownies there and I believe must be yummy too! Can’t wait to bake the brownies myself. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Comment by Sharon - October 23, 2007 1:09 pm
Hi there Sharon! Thanks!
Comment by tamami - October 23, 2007 10:06 pm
Hi Tamami,
I’ve tried this brownie recipe many times and it never fails to impress others and myself with the gooey texture! Really fudgey! my kinda thing:)
The only thing that happens all the time is that even after leaving the baked brownies to rest for the whole day, the centre comes out as very soft and seems uncooked. Is it supposed to be like that?
joanne
Comment by joanne - October 26, 2007 2:09 pm
Hi Joanne! Thanks for trying out the recipe!
- About the centre being uncooked - I can only guess, since I’m not there with you to see - but could it be that you are making a thick brownie?? The best thickness I find is about 2cm… Or what about pre-heating the oven prior to baking??… I hope this is any help at all… let me kn0w if not, and I’ll try to think abit more!! ;-)
Comment by tamami - October 26, 2007 5:33 pm
Hi Tamami, I’ve been a silent reader of your blog…. enjoying all your bakes virtually! A pity that I’m half a globe away :D
Kudos to you for being such a nice and generous lady who share your very detailed recipes even though you are selling your bakes! I’m just a novice baker so hope to learn more from you!
Cheers!
Comment by Cindy - November 14, 2007 3:45 am
Hey Cindy! thanks! And thanks for writing a comment! I never really know who reads my blog, so it’s always nice to hear from the readers!
Comment by tamami - November 14, 2007 6:16 pm
hi Tamimi,
Don’t worry about copycats, they existed but tastes would be different!
I have friends & relatives who asked me for recipes after tasting my cooking but they always returned to me saying it’s not the same as mine even when I gave the recipes in detail plus tips & tricks… WHY? well, I think the simplest answer is.. LOVE…
It’s your own creations/adaptations and the hours of sadness, headaches,tiredness, sleepless even, you poured in to achieve the end results. All those mixes turned to Love that you put into your baking! Copycats can’t achieve that… :-) So, never think that you will loose customers. I can tell you that you will gain more instead!
arigato gozaimashita for sharing the recipes!
Take care!
pixen
Comment by pixen - February 5, 2008 11:20 pm
Hello Pixen!
Thank you for your lovely comment.
I know what you mean by foods turning out differently even though from the same recipe! Aswell as “love” for it, I think it’s also got to do with how often you’ve been making it - I really think my ‘flour-less chocolate cake’ (for example) tastes different from 2 years ago!
Comment by tamami - February 6, 2008 9:22 pm
Hello sweetie just wanna thank you for keeping this amazing Blog!
Im Brazilian have lived in London and now back to Brazil growing Cocoa Beans and now producing organiz cocoa powder so will try your brownie recipe with my own “chocolate”!
Next time Im in London will give you some of my cocoa raw beans and also powder so you can try on your delicious recipes!!
Take care all my love to you
Lethi
Comment by Lethi - January 20, 2009 5:44 pm
Hello Lethi!
Wow, thank you! You’re growing cacao?! I would LOVE some raw beans & powder next time you’re in London please! What grade cacao bean are you growing? (ie: Criollo?)
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Good luck with the plantation & let me know how the brownies went.
Comment by tamami - January 20, 2009 9:30 pm
Hi! Made these yesterday morning, for company dinner last night… guests and husband were moaning with delight! (I was secretly scarfing down all the crumbs in the kitchen…)
Comment by DLAOKC - January 26, 2009 8:32 pm
Hello DLAOKC! Yesss! Thanks for the lovely report!
Comment by tamami - January 27, 2009 2:59 pm
Wow…. thanks so much for sharing this recipe. I have just discovered your blog via Chocolate & Zucchini (I think) and I made these amazing brownies last night… I will never need another brownie recipe. Rave reviews all around!! Next time I’m in London I will make a point of coming by your stall and trying your version, must be better although that’s hard to imagine.
Comment by Michelle - January 28, 2009 9:43 pm
Hello Michelle, WOW! thanks for trying my recipe. I’m glad it went down well! Hope to see you in London one day!
Comment by tamami - January 29, 2009 9:23 am
Thank you SO much for sharing the recipe. Like Michelle, I also found your blog (and by extension the recipe) through Chocolate + Zucchini. I made these brownies for the Super Bowl yesterday and they are fabulous! Thankfully, there are leftovers, which I am now dreaming of as I sit at work. I look forward to stopping by your stall whenever I may be in London. Thanks again.
Comment by Lara - February 2, 2009 5:51 pm
No problem Lara!
I’m glad they turned out good!!
xx
Comment by tamami - February 4, 2009 9:19 am
I’m not allowed to eat brownies– the perfect food, but I can enjoy them with my eyes. They’re absolutely heavenly! Thank you for sharing your recipe. I look forward to reading your blog.
Cheers,
Sara from Berkeley, California
Comment by Sara - February 7, 2009 3:21 pm
So, my son has “requested” your brownies, but living in the United States, your grams are tough for me…
Could you convert them to to cups/tsp?
Thanks!
Mom
Comment by Mardi - February 8, 2009 12:54 am
Hello Mardi,
I’m the complete opposite - cups are tough for me - so I’m afraid I can’t help you… - sorry!! Try online converters. xx
Comment by tamami - February 8, 2009 8:39 am
Sara, Thank you for your kind words! I look forward to hearing from you again! xx
Comment by tamami - February 8, 2009 8:41 am
Hi,
Just a quick note to say that I made these brownies for a weekend with some friends, and they were absolutely delicious (proof: they were gone in no time). Thanks for sharing this recipe! My wife and I will be in London at the end of the month, and broadway market is on our list of things to visit…
Comment by Steven - February 9, 2009 11:51 am
Hello Steven, I’m so glad it turned out well! Hope to see you at the market then!!
Comment by tamami - February 9, 2009 6:07 pm
Thank you for sharing the recipe! I’m a student and made this for a party, and my friends loved it! I’m baking for the first time, and am really grateful that the recipe turned out so well. Thank you!
Comment by esther - February 15, 2009 6:08 pm
Hello Esther! Thanx for reporting back!! xx
Comment by tamami - February 15, 2009 6:30 pm
Thanks for a wonderful recipe! I made the brownies last sunday, and shared them with my coworkers in the office on monday - they all raved about it and it was gone by the end of the day. This is by far my favourite chocolate cake recipe! Thank you.
Comment by Agnes - February 24, 2009 10:00 am
Hello Agnes, Thank you for reporting back! You won’t believe how happy I get when I receive great comments like this!!! xx
Comment by tamami - February 24, 2009 6:39 pm
I wanted to thank you very much for sharing this delicious recipe! I am studying for exams right now and these brownies helped me through times of frustration :) My co-students felt the same I think, as the brownies were gone in one session.
By the way your blog is very nice also and I hope that one day I will visit London and your stall of course!
All the best from Germany
Comment by muraka - February 28, 2009 12:30 am
Hello Muraka, I’m glad to be of help! All the best with your exams! xx
Comment by tamami - February 28, 2009 1:15 am
Hi, it was nice to meet you in person last saturday. And both the chocolate and raspberry tarts were delicious! We ate them at the train (Eurostar) back home, a great way to say goodbye to London…
Comment by Steven - March 2, 2009 12:37 pm
Hello Steven! Wow! Thank you for visiting the market - hope you enjoyed it!
Comment by tamami - March 2, 2009 12:57 pm
Hello Tamami,
I just tried your Luxury Brownies Recipe and I used cashew nut as it is easy to find in Thailand. Also, i substitute It turned out AWESOME! Everybody in my family loves it too. Will defenitely try baking another batch with macadamia and raisin. Thank you so much for sharing this lovely recipe!
Comment by Nunu - March 4, 2009 6:30 am
Thanks Nunu! MMMM, raisins sounds good! What about if it was soaked in Rum first? I thought of that because I sometimes make rum-soaked raisin truffles. Just an idea…
Comment by Tamami - March 4, 2009 10:20 am
Dear Tamami,
I absolutely love your blog. Thank you so much for sharing your recipes. I made your brownies earlier this week, and I have to say that they were amazing. They look great with the different nuts (in the past I would just have used one kind, but you have definately convinced me that a mix is better). I have posted the recipe on my food blog with a link to your brownie post. I hope that is ok. Have a look here http://foodfanatic.wordpress.com/2009/03/12/verdens-bedste-brownies/ if you want to see the picture of them (the text is all in Danish). I will definately be stopping by your stall next time I’m in London.
Ps. I changed the recipe a tiny bit putting a little of the chocolate into the butter and suger mixture to cool it of a bit before adding the eggs. Is there a particular reason for you adding the egg first? (just checking if I am missing out on something)
Comment by Foodfanatic - March 14, 2009 6:18 pm
Hi thanks for your recipe have been buying my brownies from my local butcher he buys them from a lady who makes them lord are they yummy big chunks of white chocolate dark chocolate have tried making them but a bit of a flop going to try your recipe do I use self raising flour please
Comment by Jane - March 15, 2009 8:02 pm
Hello Jane. Your butcher sells brownies!? Wow, that’s pretty unusual! :|) Please use plain flour - & good luck with your baking!
Comment by Tamami - March 15, 2009 9:18 pm
Oh, these are sooo good! I made 1,5 the batch, but using only 250g butter altogether (I feared I’d get greasy brownies again as with other recipes). I ran out of cocoa powder when making, so I used drinking chocolate from Bonnat for the missing amount. I had a handfull of each pistacios, almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts - turned out to be the perfect combination! I was afraid of adding the eggs to the hot butter-sugar mixture, so I added the eggs after combining with the chocolate. Because of my experimantation, I hope I will be able to reproduce these again, because they’re the best brownies ever!
Thanks for sharing your secret recipes! ;-)
Comment by Janka - March 19, 2009 1:22 pm
Wow Janka, this is so amazing! thank you back to you!!!
Comment by Tamami - March 19, 2009 8:28 pm
Hello Foodfanatic, I’m so sorry, your comment got stuck in my “approval panel”, as it contained a web-link. I get so many spams that I don’t allow link-y comments to pass through!
Anyway, thanks for your lovely comment. To answer your question, it was to heat through the eggs. But you know, so many of you are adding it later, I think it is slowly making me shift my camp to that methodology too! :)
Comment by tamami - March 24, 2009 12:39 am
Hi there,
I’m a South African and i just dicovered your blog by accident really but i will chcking again. The brownies look yummo!!!!!
Happy baking
Charmaine
Comment by CHARMAINE - April 2, 2009 5:30 am
Thanks Charmaine! I like ‘yummo’!! ;)
Comment by Tamami - April 2, 2009 6:16 pm
Hi Tamami!
Thank you soooo much for this recipe, it’ s the best ever!!! I reduced the amount of sugar (200 g.) and I decorated the surface with walnuts and a few chocolate chunks as well. It was absolutely perfect! I will never try another brownie recipe again, this is the one!…
Comment by Dimitra - April 6, 2009 6:37 am
Hello Dimitra, wow, with choc-chunks?! That brownie of yours sounds ultra chocolatey!! ;)
Comment by tamami - April 6, 2009 10:55 pm
I love your site and this recipe.
Comment by joumana accad - May 1, 2009 11:46 pm
Thanks Joumana accad!
Comment by Tamami - May 2, 2009 10:08 pm
Hallo Tamami,
Ages ago I go, I made your fantastic brownies for a go at a summer market here in Australia and I said I would let you know how it went! Well, I was so proud of all the cakes and they just looked beautiful but I only made $30 for all my work (12 hours of baking) ! The market I was at was the wrong one I think….. they were all bargain hunters and didn’t seem interested in the luscious ingredients of the brownies…. having said that they did sell OK! I had a lovely time giving them away to my friends afterwards though. Thank you so much for that recipe and your help…. I will try again sometime! Tamsin
Comment by Tamsin - May 3, 2009 9:45 am
Hi Tamsin!
Thanks for getting back to me! Sorry to hear the sales wasn’t great… I remember my sales wasn’t great for a while in the beginning too… Anyway, the point is, you’ve done it! And I am so happy that you did! Take care, & hope to hear from you again, Tamami
Comment by tamami - May 4, 2009 9:46 am
Hi Tamami!
I was craving for brownies and googled for a recipe…and found yours–I just had to try it!! :) Baked it last night (without nuts) and I must say that the recipe is a definite keeper…and you’re right…the brownies DO taste better after a day!! :)
Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful recipe! Wish I was in London cos I’d love to drop by and say hi and buy your delicious cakes!!!
Oh, and I’m loving your site:)
Mari
Australia
Comment by Mari - May 30, 2009 4:49 am
Hello Mari, thank you for reporting back!!! It’s so awesome to know that my recipe is such a hit! xx
Comment by tamami - May 31, 2009 10:23 pm
Nice photos and brownie. Thanks.
Comment by Ugur Samsa - RecipesTR - September 9, 2009 12:11 pm
Pleasure Ugar!!!!
Comment by tamami - September 9, 2009 4:55 pm
That was really fabulous and great to note how you have shared the guarded secret of this wonderful recipe, now i knew why it looks so delicious, thank you very much for sharing the recipe and the little known secret too.
Comment by recipejohn - November 13, 2009 5:36 am
Hello from Mauritius where your secret recipe has been tried with such success!! Thanks for sharing it with all of us. It seems that my 16 squares were more chunky than yours, and I did use a 20 cm square mould! But so delicious, never mind…. If I may, I would like to ask you a question about prices, could you help me for a sale at a friend’s house next Thursday? How many time do you multiply the cost price(ingredients), by 2 or 3? For profit, electricity, ….We are 7 artists girls selling their owns creations: bags, lamps, jewelery, and……for me: cakes of course!!! A good experience…..Thanks for your blog and precious notes.
Comment by Marie-Laetitia - November 13, 2009 7:14 am
Hello Recipejohn, noo problem!
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Marie-Laetitia, thank you for leaving a message. About pricing, I think it really depends on where you are based, & who your target audience is - for example, I could probably put up the price if I were selling in a posh part of London, y’know? I guess, just go with your instincts, think about how much you’d like to pay for one. Also, sometimes, pricing it cheap to attract customers can be the solution, & then sell more that way… Anyway, good luck!
Comment by tamami - November 14, 2009 1:12 am
Hi Tatami,
I am going to try out your brownie recipe today. Will keep you posted on how it turns out.
Ann
P.S. I am coming to look for your stall when in London next April! :-) Can’t wait to try out the goodies.
Comment by Ann Jebaratnam - November 23, 2009 3:27 am
Hello Ann! Do let me know how the brownies turned out! ;)
And I look forward to meeting you next April!
All the best, t x
Comment by tamami - November 23, 2009 10:44 am
Hi,
I tried it today. I made one mistake. I whisked the eggs before pouring it in. I think I whisked it slightly TOO much. The brownies are delicious, but have a lighter, cake-like texture.
Okay okay, so I cut a tiny piece as soon as it got cold, so I could taste it. :-)
Anyway… lesson learnt. Next time I won’t whisk the eggs before adding it into the mixture.
I will make it again for a Bridal Shower on the 28th. Will let you know how the second attempt turns out.
Thanks for this!
Ann
Comment by Ann Jebaratnam - November 25, 2009 11:50 am
Hello Ann! Oh! You did it right - you are supposed to whisk the eggs! I’m sorry if my recipe was vague…! I’m glad you liked it! Good luck with the bridal shower! Xx And remember it tastes better when baked a day in advance, and very slightly under cooked for the gooey-ness!!
Comment by tamami - November 25, 2009 4:27 pm
Hi, I loved my second attempt brownies. I didn’t whisk the eggs at all beforehand. I just put it into the butter/sugar/choc mixture and mixed it in like crazy. It yielded a slightly more dense and gooey texture. The girls loved it! It got eaten very fast. I used Valrhona chocolate for this and the smell during baking was WOW. Yes, this time I was a good girl and didn’t touch the thing for a whole 24 hours. :-) The next recipe on my list to try from your website is the Macarons. I didn’t get the ‘foot’ during my last 2 attempts. We’ll see if I am up to making them before the year is out. Otherwise I’ll just have to wait till April when I visit.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and your family!
Comment by Ann Jebaratnam - December 12, 2009 7:02 am
Hi Ann, I’m so glad the brownies went down well with your girls! - The macarons: the ‘feet’ is so tricky… It took me many many attempts to perfect it! Good luck with it, & please don’t worry if it doesn’t come out with feet, it’ll still taste like macarons! Mmm…
Comment by tamami - December 12, 2009 10:32 pm
Bonjour Tamami,
j’adore ton site! Continues ton beau travail. Is it possible to have your banana bread recipe because it looked so yummy on the pictures, merci. Joyeux Noel et Bonne Année à toi et à toute ta famille!!!
Comment by Diem - December 19, 2009 8:20 pm
Re-bonjour,
I forgot to specify it’s your caramelized banana cake that I would LOVE to have.
How do you caramalize your bananas, with sugar and butter? Do you put them on the bottom of your cake pan and do you put some inside the batter as well? Sorry, my english writting is horrible. Merci!!!
Bises
Comment by Diem - December 19, 2009 9:38 pm
Hello Diem,
RE: Banana cake recipe, you simply caramelize some bananas (split lengthways), align them beautifully on the bottom of the pan like you say (leave aside some to incoporate in the cake batter). Then just get a pound cake recipe. When it’s out of the oven, turn it out while it is hot! That’s it! - Good luck!!
Comment by tamami - December 20, 2009 10:54 pm
Hi Tamami,
Happy New Year!
I will be in London from 10 - 26 April, so I am definitely coming to visit you at the Market.
My boss LOVES my first attempt using your brownie recipe - the one where I thought I over-whisked the eggs - which goes to show how different everyones tastebuds are!
I found a book by a pastry chef named Hisako Ogita for the macarons. My first attempt in 2010… and they turned out perfectly albeit very sugary. The lovely little ‘pied’ came out on ALL of the macarons in that batch. I cannot explain the joy I felt when I saw them. :-) Her recipe is a little different from yours, but the technique is similar. Today I will attempt chocolate macarons. I’ve adjusted the sugar a little, so hope it will turn out.
Thank you so much for your blog. I will drop you a note just before I come to London.
Cheers!
Comment by Ann Jebaratnam - January 12, 2010 12:49 am
Hello Ann! How exciting that you are coming to London! Where are you coming from if you don’t mind me asking?? - It’ll be great to see you if you can make it to the Market! - I’ll definitely be working in April! But please do drop me a message when you know which weekend, so that I’ll double make sure that I be there!!
Comment by tamami - January 12, 2010 1:11 am
Hi,
I will be coming from Malaysia. That’s where I live. It’s my first time in your part of the world though! I travel quite a bit but it’s usually just around the region i.e. Bali, Singapore, Australia, Bangkok… but this will be my first trip to the West. :-)
I should be popping by either on 10 April or 17 April, but will confirm with you closer to the date.
Cheers!
Comment by Ann Jebaratnam - January 14, 2010 1:08 am
Wow! Malaysia!!
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You’ll love Europe, I’m sure!! I’ll look forward to meeting you! xx
Comment by tamami - January 14, 2010 5:24 pm
Okay, nearly 3 years later I finally got round to making these - and I swear I will never use another brownie recipe again. They are AMAZING! I made them for two different parties in 8 days and both times there wasn’t a crumb left. The first time I did them with mixed nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, pecans and brazil nuts) and the second time I did them with walnuts and dried cherries, which I think is my favourite.
I did them in a glass dish and they turned out fine - I just lowered the temperature to 170C/325F and baked them 35 minutes.
Thank you again for being so generous as to post the recipe - since I can’t pop over to Broadway Market anymore, it’s nice to be able to recreate one of your cakes over here! xx
Comment by Rachel - February 7, 2010 11:49 pm
Hi Rachel!! Wowww! Thank you for trying the recipe!! (I also think the walnuts & dried cherries combo would taste good!) After 35 minutes, was it still moist? xx
Comment by tamami - February 8, 2010 12:42 pm
Yes, after 35 minutes (in a glass dish) they were moist and fudgy, just the way I remember the ones from your stall!
Comment by Rachel - February 8, 2010 5:14 pm
yesss! nice one Rach! xx
Comment by tamami - February 8, 2010 6:21 pm