Friday, June 15, 2012

ooey gooey brownies


I feel happy today because I can finally invite all of you, my lovely readers, to my OFFICIAL BOOK LAUNCH at one of the most breathtaking bookstores I have ever seen, KINOKUNIYA! It's the largest bookstore not just in Singapore, but south east Asia too and is the kind of place I'd like to get unwittingly locked in, when everyone else has left for the night!! 

What bliss, to be let loose in book nirvana, just me and all those shrink wrapped new titles, waiting to be disrobed and read! *a-hem* ;) There will be fun activities, including chances to win free copies of my cookbook Mum's Not Cooking, a tasting of one of the recipes from it, a chat session with my audience and a book signing. It will be on at :

Books Kinokuniya (Singapore Main Store)
391 Orchard Road 
#03-09/10/15 Ngee Ann City 
Takashimaya Shopping Centre 
Date : Saturday 21 July 2012
Time : 2 - 3 pm

There will be a mini cooking contest and if you are an expatriate who loves Singaporean food, a student with little cooking experience (or a lot!), a newly wed or a guy, I would especially love to see you battle it out for a copy of Mum's Not Cooking. No worries though, it will be an easy but fun contest, I promise, so you definitely don't have to be Iron Chef material to take part! I'm really hoping to meet you all and say hello, and looking forward to spending a fun hour with you!



But, that's not the only reason I'm smiling today; who doesn't smile at the sight of a tray of brownies? And knowing what I know about these brownies (as in how amazingly easy and good they are) I am grinning from ear to ear because I still have 4 squares that I've secreted away in the corner of my pantry cupboard where no one goes, so the 4 other brownie junkies in this house can't get at them. Uh oh!! Now I'm gonna have to kill you *sigh*



These are the most gooey, sticky, fudgy, chewy and chocolaty brownies I have ever eaten. Any fudgier, and you might as well stick a straw in them and slurp em up! And don't get me started on that crusty, flaky, crackly top. Oh mama! How sinful are these? If you're Catholic (like me) after two squares, you'll be looking for a walk-in closet with a priest on the other side. Did I tell you I'm Catholic? ;)

the secret ingredient



I'll bet you'd be hard pressed to find a food blog without a brownie recipe, but I'm going to try to better all those other amazingly talented bloggers by letting you in on one little secret for not just good brownies, but "holy schmoly, what is this deliciousness that is anointing the inside of my mouth right now??!" brownies. This is it :

DON'T OVER MIX THE BATTER

Yes, I am a drama queen. But..... this one thing will make even an average, nothing to shout about brownie recipe, taste better, with a more satisfying mouth feel. Which is not to say that the recipe coming up isn't a great one. It's damned near divine, but it won't taste or look extra "wow!", if you beat the bejezus out of the batter. I've been stirring up brownies since I was 13 (many more years then I want to acknowledge :P) and have noticed this "stir effect" countless times.



All the times I had undermixed (as it were) the batter, the brownies came out super moist and dark, with a beautiful pale and flaky crust. I heard choirs of angels with each bite. Conversely, each time I had beaten the batter to an inch of its life, the brownies came out dry, crumbly and not as intensely flavoured. I know it, but I can't explain it. I'm no chemist after all, just a cook.



You don't have to take my word for it. Next time you make brownies, mix it like your hand would fall off it you overused it and taste the difference. Of course, you shouldn't over bake the batter, or bake at too high a temperature, but that's hardly a secret...



As I write this, the sun is painting the sky a beautiful, blazing golden summer (so it's summer all year long here, be nice, don't rain on my parade) and I get to work on stuff I love with Singapore's coolest publisher. Can you see how I would be such a happy girl? :)  I hope you'll be happy too, after munching on these babies.



I leave you now, with a little ditty (from my favourite era - sweet Lord, bring back the hippies!), that always puts a bounce in my step and makes me want to do a jig in my living room. Never mind that my neighbour in the apartment block across always looks at me as if I'm a mental institution escapee.  And when I'm done here, I still got me 4 big bites of pure brownie heaven. Mmmmm..... I might do another little jig around the sofa, but only if my neighbour's watching *grin*

Rating Advisory : The following video features footage of alarmingly invasive mutton chops, inappropriate use of black mesh and euphoria inducing music.




Disclaimer : This post was not sponsored by any church, Christian institution or Catholic hate group. I just have a quirky sense of humour and a blog, and I ain't afraid to use either. Peace y'all!

14 comments:

  1. That flaky top of brownies is driving me crazy....so delectable and so yum.....

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  2. Oh wow, these must be soooo good. I know, because I use almost the same recipe - great minds think alike :-). I was craving them for the last couple of days. Maybe the smell from your kitchen drifted here ;-). I am just dreaming about these with ice cream and chocolate sauce.... This dream shall soon come true :-). Have a yummy weekend!
    p.s. I did not know about over-mixing the batter: I guess I was always so impatient to get the final product that it never happened to me :-). But good to learn, just in case. Thanks for the tip!

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  3. It is indeed ooey gooey...
    Nice if I can have with a cuppa :D... definitely get my daughter to make this, as she is the brownie Princess in the house... :D

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  4. I am not much of a brownie person and I don't have a brownie recipe on my blog...shhhhhh! However, I do enjoy a slice every now and then. Yours look so moist and dense. I will have to give it a try one of these days. Maybe I'll be a convert ;)

    Congrats on the book launch. The activities planned sound like fun. I hope there'll be lots and lots of people there. Kinokuniya is my favorite bookstore in Singapore and you already know I enjoy going to Takashimaya :)

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  5. Congratulations DENISE! What fun - I miss Takashimaya & wish I could be there :)

    The brownie is perfection itself!

    chow :) Devaki @ weavethousandflavors

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  6. Hi Denise,

    Congratulations on your book launch. Now these brownies I simply must have. I can't make brownies often because I'll eat them too fast, that's how much I love them. Thanks for sharing the recipe I'll try it next time I bake a batch.

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  7. CONGRATULATIONS, darling! Finally, your new books are coming out. Is it one or both? Oh man, this is a big big day to you. Hope everything goes well on your side.
    Best wishes ((hugs)) <3
    Kristy

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  8. I just came back to say that I made these brownies and they are wonderful! With or without ice cream :-)

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for coming back to let me know Elana! You really made my day :)

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  9. July 21 is a lucky day... My mothers birthday. Congrats on your new book launch

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    1. Thank you Kathy. I hope it will be a lucky day for me too :)

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  10. Hi Denise, Congratulations on your book launch, it sounds like an amazing bookstore! ps. these brownies look pretty amazing too;-)

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  11. I so wish I could have been there for the big day...sounds like such fun! And these brownies look absolutely evil ;)

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  12. lol Alisha, no one's ever called my brownies evil before, but I LOVE the sound of that, and I'm sure my hips would agree with you :D

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