Walnut Fudge Pie a' la Mode with Hot Fudge Sauce

 

Walnut Fudge Pie a' la Mode with Hot Fudge Sauce
Source: Maida Heatter's Book of Great Desserts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1999 ed.), pg. 48.

Not really a pie but more like a brownie made in a pie plate, this is a thin and dense dessert enhanced by adding ice cream and hot fudge sauce. It baked beautifully.

I was not a fan of the Hot Fudge Sauce but I'm sure there are better ones our there (in fact, she herself has many recipes of chocolate sauces). This one tasted fine but, like she says, it hardens very quickly, almost instantaneously. You can refrigerate it but you must reheat it over hot water. I thought I had ruined my sauce pan after making it but I finally cleaned it by boiling vinegar and water in it for a few minutes.

2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1/4 lb. (1 stick) butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sugar (divide into 3/4 and 1/4 portions)
2 eggs, separated
2 tablespoons hot water
1/3 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 cup walnuts, broken into medium-sized pieces
Pinch of salt

Use the center rack and preheat the oven to 350. Line a 9-inch oven-proof glass pan with foil. Brush the foil with melted or soft butter.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over hot water. Set aside.

Beat the butter in mixer bowl until soft. Add the vanilla and 3/4 cup sugar (reserve the remaining 1/4 cup sugar). Beat for one minute.

Add the egg yolks and then the chocolate. Beat until smooth.

Add the hot water and then the flour, scraping the bowl as necessary.

Remove from the mixer and stir in the nuts.

Beat the egg whites until they hold a soft shape. Add the reserved 1/4 cup of sugar and continue to beat until the mixture is stiff (but not dry). Fold into the chocolate mixture. Spread into the pie plate.

Bake for 30-35 minutes. The cake will rise and then sink, causing a crust to form but the inside will be soft. Cool in the pan on a rack. After it has cooled, allow it to stand an additonal 1/2 to 1 hour. Invert and remove the foil and then replace the pie back into the glass pan.

Serve with ice cream and hot fudge sauce.

The recipe for the Hot Fudge Sauce follows. However, like I mentioned earlier, I would try another one.

2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1 teaspoon butter
1/3 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Over low heat, combine the chocolate, butter and water until smooth. Mix in the corn syrup and sugar.

Increase the heat to moderate and stir occasionally until it comes to a boil. Stop stirring and let it boil for 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and place the pan in water to stop the boiling. Stir in the vanilla.

Use it immediately while still warm or let it cool and reheat it over hot water.

Palm Beach Brownies with Chocolate Covered Mints

Palm Beach Brownies with Chocolate Covered Mints
Source: Maida Heatter's Book of Great Desserts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1999 ed.), pg. viii.

I made these brownies again a few days ago and they were just as good as ever. This time I made half with York Peppermint Patties and the other half with Andes mints. There wasn't a noticeable difference in taste. The ones with the Andes mints were pretty with the mint green color but the ones with Yorks are equally pretty.

When Maida Heatter's first book (the above-mentioned title) won the James Beard Cookbook Hall of Fame Award in 1998, she accepted her award on stage and began to toss out these brownies to the audience. Everybody clamored for one and went wild.

The original recipe came from a local deli in her area and did not include the mints (that recipe is available in the first edition of this book). She tinkered with the recipe and added the mints which do not melt during baking. I've been itching to make these ever since seeing them featured on the cover of the book.

These brownies are soft, gooey and wonderful. I like them best at room temperature. Every year, just before the holiday break, goodie bags are put together for our hard-working student library employees. This was my contribution to the bag this year.

8 oz. unsweetened chocolate
8 oz. (2 sticks) unsalted butter
8 oz. (2 cups) walnuts, cut into small pieces
5 eggs graded "large"
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1⁄2 tsp. almond extract
1⁄4 tsp. salt
1 TBS. plus 1 tsp. instant espresso powder
3 3⁄4 cups sugar
1 2⁄3 cups sifted unbleached flour
2 bags (14 oz. or 15.4 oz.) York chocolate-covered peppermint patties (I've also used Andes Mints)

(Note: Maida recommends using a Magic Line pan for these.)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a 9 x 13 x 2 inch pan with foil. Place a tablespoon of butter on the foil, melt it in the oven, and spread the melted butter over the foil with a pastry brush.

Melt the chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler over low heat, stirring ocassionally. Set aside.

Beat the eggs with the vanilla and almond extracts, espresso and sugar on high for about 10 minutes.

Add the melted chocolate on low speed and beat only until mixed.

Add the flour, beating only until mixed.

Stir in the nuts.

Spoon half of the mixture into the prepared pan. Smooth the top.

Place a layer of mints on top, touching each other.

Cover the mints with the remaining chocolate mixture.

Bake for 35 minutes, reversing the pan halfway through baking.

The cake will have a firm top and a toothpick will come out wet - that is ok.

Let stand until cool.

Remove from the pan and remove the foil lining. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight before cutting.

When cutting, you may find that the edges are burned. Trim these off and cut the remainder into long and narrow strips.

Store in an airtight container or wrap each brownie in cellophane.

Denver Brownies

Denver Brownies  (Source: Maida Heatter's Cookies (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1997 ed.), pg. 121.

These are sooooo good. I think these may rank as one of my favorite of Maida's numerous brownie recipes (my favorites are the Palm Beach Brownies and the Santa Fe Brownies).

Maida Heatter says she got the recipe at a television station in Denver and was told that Julia Child had raved about them. I can see why. 

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup honey
2 tbsp. water or coffee
4 oz. (1 stick) unsalted butter, in pieces at room temperature
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups (6 oz.) walnuts or pecans, cut into medium-sized pieces
2 tbsp. bourbon, brandy, or rum

Preheat oven to 325. Line a 9-inch square pan with foil. Butter the foil and set aside. (Note: It is helpful to cut the foil large enough so that it drapes over the sides of the pan. This will make it easier to remove from the pan).

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Place the honey, water or coffee, butter and chocolate in a 2-3 qt. saucepan over low heat. Stir occasionally until the mixture has melted.

Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon.

Stir in the eggs, one at a time.

Add the flour mixture and mix well.

Stir in the nuts.

Transfer to the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake for about 25 minutes until tester comes out barely clean. Do not overbake.

Remove from the oven and brush the hot cake with the liquor.

Cool slightly and carefully remove from the pan. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before applying the frosting.

White Icing

4 oz. (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups sifted confectioners sugar

Beat the butter until soft. Add vanilla and gradually add sugar, beating until soft and fluffy.

Spread the icing over the cake and smooth the top.

Refrigerate.

Chocolate Icing

6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp. shortening
1 tbsp. unsalted butter

Place the chocolate, shortening and butter in the top of a double boiler over hot water. Bring water to a boil, turn off the heat and cover for a few minutes until the mixture has melted. Whisk until smooth.

Pour the icing in ribbons over the cake and use a spatula to smooth it out.

Refrigerate.

Use a sharp serrated knife to cut the brownies into 1" squares.

Jane Freiman's Brownies

Jane Freiman's Brownies 
Source: Maida Heatter's Brand-New Book of Great Cookies (Random House, 1995 ed.), pg. 75.

These are very good brownies. I think they are best with ice cream. They are very fragile. The instructions to freeze them is a must and it requires some dexterity and patience to flip them out of the pan. Even after freezing, I had one to break as I was cutting them. 

The recipe calls for walnuts but I used pecans.

I was not familiar with Jane Freiman but found out she is a New York restaurant critic and food writer. In her introduction, Maida says that she is a friend and the author of "Dinner Party: The New Entertaining". The book was published in 1990.

1/4 cup sifted unbleached flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
8 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (broken into small pieces)
5 oz. walnuts (1 1/4 cup) (in medium-sized pieces)
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup sour cream
4 oz. (1 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Line an 8 x 8 inch pan with foil. Butter the foil and sprinkle it with dry bread crumbs.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler. 

Beat the eggs, vanilla and sour cream slightly.

In a quart (or larger) saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the sugar and stir until melted. Stir in the chocolate.

Transfer to a mixing bowl. Stir in the egg mixture, then the sifted dry ingredients. Add the nuts.

Transfer to the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Stand at room temperature until cooled. Carefully invert from the pan when cooled and peel off the foil. Flip it again so that the cake is right side up. Freeze for at least one hour or refrigerate for several hours. Cut into squares as soon as you remove it from the freezer.

They can be wrapped individually or stored in an airtight container. They can also be kept frozen and served immediately after coming out of the freezer as they do not get too hard.