10.08.2008

espresso banana brownies to feed a crowd

Photobucket I hate making piddley pans of brownies. Who's idea was that anyways! 9 x 9? Who are we trying to kid?! Get me a proper pan, and I'll bake you a proper cake. I deplore wasting time, so I won't waste yours. Normally, I'm not quite this perturbed with the size of any food or meal, I just want it to be good. But quite frankly, it just doesn't seem worth my time and effort for only a few squares of chocolatey goodness. Sure, I could just make a double recipe and use multiple pans, but why not just one cake of a nice size? Enough questions - straight to the answers. I also have this thing where most everything I make has to have something healthy about it. I don't know, it's just a quirk. But it keeps me from ever feeling guilty about eating, ever. I have somehow gotten over any type of restrictive eating habits. Eat and be merry. If it is a bit better for me, then all the merrier. Adding bananas to this cake tastes good too. Stash expired bananas in the freezer, not only for banana breads or cakes, but for nearly any cake. Yes, this cake has a lot of butter. But, it tastes good. Besides, it mostly contains ingredients that are pronounceable, and I find recipes like this to be fairly easy to digest. It's not perfect, by any means but, at least it wasn't made in a factory, where I don't even get to savour the glorious smell of baking in my very own home. It is rewarding, and it is likely, that if you are in enough of a hurry to get this in the oven, it is possible to burn off a fair number of calories in the process. These are divinely yummy with ice cream, but will also hold their own. The pan is large, but it doesn't mean you'll want to share. Espresso Banana Brownies to Feed a Crowd 2 cups butter 1 cup dark chocolate (73%) vanilla 1/2 cup cocoa 2 cups sugar 2 cups flour 6 eggs 2 very ripe bananas 4 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 1/2 can sweetened condensed milk 2 shots espresso, or very strong coffee 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 2. Melt the butter and chocolate. 3. Combine the eggs, and bananas until mashed together. Add vanilla, cocoa, and sugar. Stir in the butter and the chocolate. Stir in the sugar. 4. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. It will resemble a creamy frosting in consistency. Grease a cookie sheet (13 x 18 inches), and evenly spread the batter with a spatula. 5. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. 6. Combine the condensed milk with the espresso, and drizzle over the top of the cake (no need to wait for it to cool).

14 comments:

Bentoist said...

I want to try that now. I was just craving brownies and was thinking I might just deal with the craving with a box from the store but your instructions look easy enough, and with all that coffee & bananas too. I'm going bananas over your recipe here. Pun totally intended. Have a puntastic night!

tintallie said...

speaking of brownies, there's a triple chocolate chipotle brownie recipe in the Oct 2008 issue of Yoga Journal that I have to try. the recipe calls for spelt flour instead of the all-purpose, ugh my tummy hurts, flour.

Anonymous said...

I am with you girl! I don't even OWN such a small baking tray, so I have to always double the recipes...!

Jan said...

Mmmm - Brownies! Love the picture.

Zesty Cook said...

This look amazing Pink... I alread gave you a stumble but i had to let you know... via comments:)

gail said...

wiggles - let me know how that recipe turns out! I am don't eat flour too often, but it sounds yummy :)

thanks everyone!

Anonymous said...

yeah i knoe what you mean abt 'healthy food', I try to make sure I have balanced meals... but dun always stick to it!

You are right, eat and be merry:D

Rowena said...

I totally agree with that first paragraph. I mean, it's like a joke! How is it that you can find a recipe for double-layer cakes but squat for brownies? ;-)

Anonymous said...

will i love banana

Cate Bruce-Low said...

delisssssssshhh! and i love your blog...can't wait to read some more.
xoxo, tribeca yummy mummy

gail said...

Hello and thanks Cate!

I finally had to put the last of the brownies in the freezer, as I am overwhelmed with Thanksgiving yumminess! Oh darn ;)

appropriated.muffin said...

i am totally going to try this recipe! my failed attempts at banana bread have turned me off of that for a good while... but when there are frozen bananaers in the freezer, still gotta do SOMETHING with them!

Deep said...

This is just nice for my small oven and pans. Is it possible however to do away with the banana? Cos I don't quite like banana in cakes.

gail said...

deep - no problem, just leave it out completely. It results in a pretty goopy cake as is (could probably do with a tad less butter) or replace with something like apple sauce, or even zucchini. Or just go for the chocolate! :)

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