It was a busy weekend.
Saturday was the Salon au Chocolat (see below); Sunday was the annual Fall Lunch at the village.
The Lunch takes care of the entire day. It starts at noon and finishes around 4:30. After all the food and wine and aperitif and digestif I’m not up for anything for the rest of the day.
The menu this year:
- Aperitif with nibbles
- Pumpkin Soup
- Vegetable Salad with Poached Salmon
- Sorbet with Calvados
- Stuffed Pork with Rice
- Cheese and Salad
- Ice cream Profiteroles with Chocolate Sauce
- Coffee and digestif
Wine included, of course.
I originally posted this Brownie recipe a few years ago….
In honor of the Salon au Chocolat I thought it worthy of a repeat.
Absolute Best Brownies
Total time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 6 tbs (3oz,90gr) butter, plus a bit more for the pan
- 8oz (240gr) dark chocolate, in chunks I use 70%
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 cup walnuts, chopped
- Dark Chocolate Glaze
- 4oz (120gr) dark chocolate, in chunks I use 70%
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Line the inside of an 8-inch square pan with 2 lengths of foil, laying them perpendicular to each other and folding the edges over to form handles (so you can lift the brownies out when they’re cool).
- Lightly butter the foil.
- In a large saucepan melt the butter over low heat.
- Reduce heat to very low and add the chocolate. Stir constantly until melted.
- Remove pan from heat, add sugar, vanilla and stir well.
- Add eggs, 1 at a time, and beat well with a medium-size wooden spoon.
- Add the flour and beat vigorously for 1 1/2 – 2 minutes. Better should be shiny and smooth. Do not skip this part.
- Stir in the nuts.
- Pour the batter into the pan.
- Bake for 30 minutes. The center should be almost set. Do not over-bake.
- Cool brownies completely in the pan.
- Lift the brownies out of the pan and loosen the foil on the sides and bottom. You can either leave them on the foil or put on a plate.
- Pour the glaze over the top and smooth to the edges.
- When the glaze is cool, cut and serve.
- Glaze:
- Heat the cream in a small saucepan over low heat.
- Add the chocolate and stir just until melted
The French take their chocolate seriously.
This is a typical ‘chocolate bar’. They come in a few flavors (this one is filled with mint cream) and different percentages of cocoa. Normally they’re divided into ten squares, and one square would be eaten after lunch or dinner as a small dessert.
As to the serious, handmade chocolates……
Almost every village has at least one Chocolatier. The Salon au Chocolat features all of the local, and not so local, chocolate artisans.
Some of them do more than chocolate….
These 2-bite macarons are one of our favorite treats from the Salon.
The chocolates and the macarons are wonderful – but not cheap. The little macarons are about 50 cents each and that small plate of hand-made chocolates was almost $15.00.
Maybe that explains why they’re eaten so sparingly……
One treasures every bite.
My discerning French friend chocoholics agree that these Brownies are fantastic.
I found the recipe on Leite’s Culinaria under the title of David Lebovitz’s Absolute Best Brownie. The recipe appears in his book: Ready for Dessert | Ten Speed Press, 2010 |
There, I think that takes care of ‘credit where it’s due’.
Those brownies look wonderful! I’m definitely making those.
I buy those Lindt chocolates here, but with the caramel center. I cheat and eat two though. I just can’t eat one of anything chocolate though. It’s not in my nature 😉
Another recipe to add to the list to make when I am mobile again. The chocolatiers in France are incredible. The flavour combinations and presentation make it so difficult to make a selection – you want to try them all!!
nightsmusic, the brownies are fantastic and easy… Caramel center is next.
Gill, I always want to try them all. It’s really a good thing (for my waistline) that they’re expensive LOL