Brownie Pudding--Barefoot Bloggers Optional Recipe

Our second optional Barefoot Bloggers recipe for March, is Ina's Brownie Pudding, picked by Tia of Southern Eh?  Brownie Pudding is not something I can make healthy, but I have been pretty good so we will focus on small indulgences. I made half of the recipe, and made it in small ramekins for portion control and sharing. After all, a girl can't live on broccolini and quinoa alone!

This recipe can be found in Barefoot Contessa; Back to Basics (page 218) or at the Food Network site, here.

Brownie Pudding

Barefoot Contessa; Back to Basics

(6 Servings)

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus extra for buttering the dish
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup good cocoa powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean
1 tablespoon framboise liqueur, optional
Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly butter a 2-quart (9 by 12 by 2-inch) oval baking dish. Melt the 1/2 pound of butter and set aside to cool.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs and sugar on medium-high speed for 5 to 10 minutes, until very thick and light yellow. Meanwhile, sift the cocoa powder and flour together and set aside.

When the egg and sugar mixture is ready, reduce the speed to low and add the vanilla seeds, framboise, if using, and the cocoa powder and flour mixture. Mix only until combined. With mixer still on low, slowly pour in the cooled butter and mix again just until combined.

Pour the brownie mixture into the prepared dish and place it in a larger baking pan. Add enough of the hottest tap water to the pan to come halfway up the side of the dish and bake for exactly 1 hour. A cake tester inserted 2 inches from the side will come out 3/4 clean. The center will appear very under-baked; this dessert is between a brownie and a pudding.

Allow to cool and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Notes/Results: Rich, chocolaty and very decadent, this one is for the extreme chocoholic and a bit too rich for me, I think. I used a dark, Valrhona Cacao Powder that a friend gave me, and I think that made it even richer. I put my half recipe into three ramekins, baked them about 30 minutes and they had the perfect gooey center and chewy, brownie-like edges that Ina promised. I loved the texture but I couldn't quite finish mine, it was just too much. The small scoop of vanilla yogurt I served with it, helped a bit, but for me, I am happier with just a small piece of good quality choclate to splurge on. 

Thanks to Tia for picking a decadent, indulgent chocolate treat that was fun to try. You can see which Barefoot Bloggers made this optional recipe and what they thought about it on the "Whose Turn Is It?"  page here.