There are so
many different brands of chocolate available in the market today and at so many
different price points. Usually, when I
make brownies, I use Bakers’ unsweetened chocolate and their one bowl brownie
recipe. I always thought these brownies
where good, dense, and yummy. I am not a
huge chocolate connoisseur, so I just assumed the chocolate flavor was
sufficient.
A few months
ago, I brought brownies into the office for Valentine’s Day. The brownies slowly went through the week,
but by Friday, I had to throw away at least 2 brownies. I work in a small office, but treats, good
treats, are never not consumed. I took
this to mean, the brownies were not up to my usual standards. I have not made brownies since.
Then, I
discovered these little Jet Puffed Mallow Bits and instantly knew I wanted to
create rocky road brownies. It is said
that to do the same thing and expect different results, is the definition of insanity. I did not want to insanely create another perceived
“fail” brownie attempt. After reviewing
the recipe and seeing that it mirrored a lot of other brownie recipes; and reading
reviews of the chocolate, which are less than favorable in a lot of places, I
decided the chocolate was the variable that needed to change.
I wanted to
use another brand of unsweetened chocolate, keeping all other aspects of the
recipe the same. At my local grocery store,
the only other brand of unsweetened chocolate they had was the uber expensive,
though decadently yummy, Scharffen Berger chocolate. After paying two arms and a leg for the
chocolate bar, I used it in the brownie recipe.
The batter
seems oiler than normal when I mixed it up, but I refused to throw it out! I paid too much for this chocolate. I baked up the brownies, let them cool, and
cut them. They were not oily at all AND
they tasted amazingly chocolaty (in a good way). I brought them to my office, hoping for a
better reception than the last brownies I made.
The office loved them. They got
moved up to 3rd favorite on one of my co-work’s list of things I have baked. They got moved up to 1st on the list of one
of my mom’s co-workers. I guess it is
all about the chocolate.
The add-ins
to these brownie are special as well.
The Mallow Bits (think crunchy marshmallow pieces from hot cocoa packs)
provide an interesting and pleasant texture to the brownie. They do not dissolve away like regular
marshmallows, but are not completely crunchy like they are before baking; they
are chewy. The almonds and chocolate
chips both provide a nice texture to the brownies as well. Mixing half the add-ins into the batter and
topping the brownies with the other half truly make them special. They look like what they are, a rocky yet
yummy road to travel!
Rocky Road Brownies
Recipe
1 Brownie
Recipe (I used Bakers’ One Bowl recipe, with Scharffen Berger Unsweetened Chocolate)
More or less to taste:
1 container
of Mallow Bites
1 1/2 cups
Sliced Almonds
1 1/2 cups
Mini Chocolate Chips
Method:
1. Make
brownie batter as instructed.
2. Stir in
half of the add-ins.
3. Pour
brownie batter into prepared pan, lined with parchment. Spread out the batter into an even layer.
4. Top
brownie batter in pan with the remaining add-in sprinkled generously across the
top. Press down on the add-ins slightly
to ensure they adhere.
5. Bake the
brownies as prescribed in the recipe you have chosen. The add-ins should add little, if any, time
to the baking length.
