Toblerone Chocolate Brownies

Looking at my list of basics I decided it was time to have another go at my baking nemesis – chocolate brownies. I have never been able to make Brownies from scratch that are the right consistency. They are either too cakey or far too gooey. This blog is a mash up of my two attempts this week – one followed where I a basic recipe and the second where I used Toblerone instead of normal chocolate.

Method

First I melted butter, dark chocolate and milk chocolate in a bowl over a pan of boiling water. Dark and light brown sugar was mixed into this melted mixture. After it had cooled a little I added 3 whisked eggs and then plain flour. After pouring into the tin I scattered chocolate chips or chopped up Toblerone on top. The Brownie was in the oven for about 25 mins.

Results

I still don’t have this recipe down. I think the recipe is good and it’s the cooking time that is my downfall. The second set was a little softer than the first (these were quite dry) but I still think that they needed less time in the oven. I am not very good at remembering the time that I put things in the oven – I have bought a timer from e-bay in an attempt to improve this! I will be baking these Brownies until I get them just right.

I made these Brownies as part of a fathers’ day present and my Dad said they were nice so that’s the main thing :)

Score: 4.5/10

Soundtrack: Various Jessie J

March Madness

I have been busy with all things Guiding recently, and baking has popped up in all manner places. At the Lancs NW training day I helped out with a cake stall in aid of my upcoming trip to Berlin. We sold LOADS of cake and my cookies and rocky road went down well. It was my first go at baking in my new oven and I have found it is a bit trickier than my last one. I think I will have to get a thermometer as I think it might be lying about its temperature.

I gained my Senior Section Permit by holding an activity weekend at Guy’s Farm last month too. The snowy weather didn’t deter us and we made a snowman as well as some yummy looking cupcakes. Some of the decoration that the group did was spectacular!

Finally, all my groups combined baking with Easter. The Brownies and Guides went for chocolate nests while the Young Leaders produced some fantastic chocolate brownies. At the last minute we added crème eggs on the top, and despite me not really liking them that much normally, they melted into a gooey and tasty topping.

Dr. Oetker Double Chocolate Brownies

So I admit that this one is a big old cheat. I had a box of Brownie Mix in my cupboard that was just crying out to be made up on a cold Sunday afternoon in December. Whenever I have tried to make brownies from scratch they have never ever turned out right so I have always used packet mixes as they usually end up, just about, better than any of my solo attempts. So I suppose you could call this a review rather than a straight up, skills improving, bake.

I followed the instructions on the back of the box (add water, egg & oil, mix, add chocolate chips) and added some of my own white chips for good measure. Then it’s into the silicon baking tray and into the oven. The mixture was very thick but there wasn’t much of it and it was only about 1 – 2 cm deep in the tin. I wanted quite a firm brownie so I left it in for the full 25 minutes. After it had totally cooled I added my last bit of ‘personalisation’. I had a lot of cake topping left from last week’s buns so I covered the top with that.

The brownies turned out pretty well; very thin and very chewy but also very chocolatey and very yummy. They might be a bit sickly sweet for some people’s taste but I think that just means a little bit goes a long way!

Score: No score this time as no real skill was involved!

Soundtrack: Talk That Talk, Rihanna