Brownie Bake-off: The Silver Palate's Brownie Recipe
I have been on a mission all summer, to find the best-tasting brownies around and testing them in a brownie bake-off. Just a few days ago I was introduced to Sherry. We talked brownies. She told me that when her son was in college, she would send him care packages filled with brownies. Her son's friends voted them the best brownies ever. Her secret? The brownie recipe was from the Silver Palate, the renown gourmet food shop and catering company that opened in Manhattan in the mid-'70s and thrilled American taste buds for more than a decade.
Sherry said she also liked the Katharine Hepburn brownie recipe included in gossip columnist Liz Smith's Dishing. In fact, the two recipes are quite similar. I'll try Katharine Hepburn's brownies next week. In the meantime, here's the recipe for the Silver Palate's fudgy brownies.
Silver Palate Brownies
Ingredients:
1/2 pound (2 sticks) sweet butter
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
4 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup shelled walnuts, coarsely chopped
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9 x 12 inch baking pan.
2. Melt butter and chocolate in the top part of a double boiler over boiling water. When melted, set aside to cool to room temperature.
3. Meanwhile, beat eggs and sugar until thick and lemon-colored; add vanilla. Fold chocolate mixture into eggs and sugar. Mix thoroughly.
4. Sift flour and fold gently into batter, mixing just until blended. Fold in walnuts.
5. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes, or until center is just set. Do not overbake.
6. Allow brownies to cool in pan for 30 minutes before cutting into bars.
Makes 28 large brownies.
The Silver Palate Cookbook, Julee Rosso & Sheila Lukins, Workman Publishing Company, 1982
--Tracy Schneider
Deborah on July 20, 2009 at 07:01 AM
When I was a young bride (1970), we were very poor. I never baked brownies because for almost the same ingredients, I could make a large cake with more servings. It's still hard for me to "splurge" on brownies (2 sticks of butter and 4 eggs!), but I will give these a try :)
NoTimeMom on July 20, 2009 at 12:45 PM
Yum! I am loving your great brownie bake-off. So far the saucepan brownies went over really well with my husband. I can't wait to give this recipe a spin. Being pregnant I will take any possible opportunity to make brownies. I just claim the blog made me do it!
Mike on July 22, 2009 at 05:11 AM
After two heart attack because I ate brownies like tis. NO! two sticks of butter, 4 eggs and two cups of sugar is not healthy at all even though the brownies taste great.
dvds on September 29, 2009 at 03:03 AM
These are the best; and very easy to make. I can't get enough of them...
Chunks of Bittersweet Chocolate, cup shelled walnuts, and a hint of Espresso...
Jen on January 17, 2010 at 03:42 PM
I the silver palate 25th anniversary cook book it calls for 1 and a half cups sugar not two. Plus if you think about it it is supposed to make 28 brownies. If people actually ate one serving than that would not be bad at all. I just made them and they are the best I have had and worth every calorie and gram of fat!