Chocolate Brownies--Cream of the West Cookbook
Dense, chocolatey, brownies are good plain or frosted. Or try them filled with one of the three gooey fillings in the recipe below-- Cherry Cheese, Coconut Cream or Peanut Butter Cream fillings.
One of my readers, Cecilia, asked if I had the Chocolate Brownie recipe from the Cream of the West Cookbook and if I did could I make and post the recipe. I told her I did have the recipe and I would make it and here it is with some of the variations that go along with it.
I have the Cream of the West Cook Book and it's one of my favourites. I often use it not only for a recipe but as a reference source as well. I sent away for the book years ago. There was an order form on the back of the bag of flour that I filled in and sent it along with a few dollars and in a few weeks I had a new cookbook. And as I was writing this post all of a sudden just like that the radio ad came back to my mind and I found myself singing this little jingle.
Cream of the West Flour
Always the best flour,
Always the best for your baking.
The original recipe uses shortening and let me tell you I thought the shortening added nothing to the taste of these brownies so the next time I made them I used butter. What a difference in the flavour! So much nicer.
The cookbook also used an 8-inch square pan and that was good for the basic brownie recipe but for the filled brownies I found they baked much better in a 9-inch pan because they weren't as thick. I thought the middle would never bake in the smaller pan and had to keep the brownies in for over 45 minutes. This gave me dry brownies on the sides and just barely baked in the middle. The 9-inch pan of filled brownies baked in 35 minutes in my oven.
Printable recipe at end of post.
Chocolate Brownies
- ¾ cup flour
- ⅓ cup cocoa
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup very soft butter
- 2 eggs
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans, optional
How to make:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease or pan spray and 8 or 9-inch square pan. If you wish line the pan with parchment for easy removal.
Sift flour, cocoa, salt and sugar together in a large bowl. Stir in the soft butter, eggs, water and vanilla and beat with a spoon until well combined. Add the chopped nuts if using. Turn batter out into the prepared pan and bake 25-30 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from the sides of the pan.
If you wish when Brownies have cooled frost with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting. Use half the icing recipe or one-quarter for a thinner layer.
Makes 25 brownies.
For the filled brownies below I found they baked much better in the 9-inch pan.
Cherry Cheese Brownies
Make Brownie batter above. Spread ⅔ of batter in prepared 9-inch pan. In a separate bowl beat together: ½ package softened cream cheese (4 ounces), 1 egg, ½ cup sugar and 2 tablespoons flour. Add ½ cup chopped and drained maraschino cherries. Pour this cherry cheese mixture over the brownie batter in the pan. Spoon remaining brownie batter over the cherry batter and spread to cover. (I spooned little blobs of brownie batter all over and spread it out as carefully as I could but didn't cover all the way as the two batters would have mixed together.) Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until brownies pull away from the side of the pan. If you wish when Brownies have cooled frost with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting. Use half the icing recipe or one-quarter for a thinner layer.
Makes 25 brownies.
Coconut Cream Brownies
Make Brownie batter above. Spread ⅔ of batter in prepared 9-inch pan. In a small saucepan mix together ⅓ undiluted evaporated milk and ⅓ cup sugar. Cook 5 minutes over medium low heat stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in 1½ cups flaked coconut and 1 teaspoon almond extract. Gently spread over the brownie base and cover with remaining brownie batter completely covering. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until brownies pull away from the side of the pan. If you wish when Brownies have cooled frost with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting. Use half the icing recipe or one-quarter for a thinner layer.
Makes 25 brownies.
Peanut Butter Cream Brownies
Prepare the Coconut Cream Brownies above stirring ⅓ cup peanut butter into the cooked creamy mixture before adding the coconut and almond extract. Bake as above.
Bake 25-30 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from the sides of the pan.
The brownies can be served plain or frosted with your favourite chocolate icing.
Pour this cherry cheese mixture over the brownie batter in the pan. Spoon remaining brownie batter over the cherry batter and spread to cover. (I spooned little blobs of brownie batter all over and spread it out as carefully as I could but didn't cover all the way as the two batters would have mixed together. You may have better success than I did.)
Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until brownies pull away from the side of the pan. If you wish when Brownies have cooled frost with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.
Cherry Cheese Brownies
Coconut Cream or Peanut Butter Cream Brownies: Make Brownie batter above. Spread ⅔ of batter in prepared 9-inch pan. In a small saucepan mix together evaporated milk and sugar. Cook 5 minutes over medium low heat stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in flaked coconut and almond extract. Gently spread over the brownie base and cover with remaining brownie batter completely covering. For the Peanut Butter Cream Brownies stir ⅓ cup peanut butter into the cooked creamy mixture before adding the coconut and almond extract.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until brownies pull away from the side of the pan.
Coconut Cream Brownies
Coconut Cream Brownies
To print click on arrow upper right side.⇩
nice
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