Five Minutes More, Five Times Better

Upon seeing all of the Sam's Club brownies, Keebler pie crusts and grocery store pound cakes at our office holiday party, I was disappointed. I understand that it takes a little time to bake, but it also takes time to go to the store! It probably takes more time to get your coat on, drive to the store, stand in line at the checkout, and return home than it does to make a pan of brownies or make a pound cake. What is exceptionally frustrating is that the same people who will go out of their way to make a savory dish the best it can be with good ingredients, good technique and attention to detail will just buy a Sara Lee pound cake. It makes me want to cry. Sniff.

Even Alton Brown, whom I generally admire, pissed me off a few days ago. He was going on and on about the best ingredients for a pie, and then, and then! he says "store-bought pie crust is just fine." WTF? Unless he shops at a store with magical pie fairies, the crap they pass off as pie crust is barely tolerable, let alone "just fine." But I'll save pie crust for another day. Let's stick to brownies and cake.

If someone does take the time to bake brownies or cake, they often use a boxed mix. I know, I know, they aren't that bad. But, if you compare it to syphilis, herpes isn't that bad either. You can do so much better, folks! What people don't realize is that it takes only a very few minutes more to do a cake from scratch than it does to use a mix. And it really does taste better. Waaaayy better. C'mon - do you think a Junior Hamburger from Wendy's is as good as the one straight from your grill? No? It's the same with cake - Pillsbury ain't got nothin' on a homemade cake.

I've heard a lot of excuses out there for not baking from scratch. "It's too difficult." "I don't have the equipment." "It takes too much time." "It's too much work." I believe I can counter those arguments. I really, really, would like to see people try something from scratch using my methods so they can see that it doesn't have to be difficult. I know they will like the results. Following are some excuses (mostly myths) and my rebuttals.

Myth: Baking from scratch is very difficult.
Truth: A simple sheet or pound cake or pan of brownies is not difficult at all and requires no more skill than making a boxed mix. Swear to Dog. If you are making a boxed cake mix, you have to measure (oil & water), mix and put the batter in a pan.  If you make a cake according to my instructions, you have to measure, mix and put the batter in a pan. Seriously. It the freakin' same skill set! You (yes you!) can make a cake that tastes five times better than a box, with only five more minutes of your time. It's a matter of method.

Many cake recipes are daunting. They have you cream butter and sugar for minutes on end and admonish you NOT TO UNDERBEAT! Then they have you add this, then that, then alternate, blah blah blah. If I had to do it that way I'd probably get a mix too. The truth is, there's an easier way. It's the method most bakeries use and it's call the hi-ratio method. I like to call it the 'cake mix method.' It's elegantly simple. Just as in a cake mix, you put all the dry ingredients together first and add in the liquid ingredients. Sound too good to be true? If you don't believe me, believe Rose Levy Berenbaum, author of The Cake Bible. She uses this method almost exclusively.

What you do is measure all the dry ingredients into a bowl, stir to combine, then add the (room temperature) butter and beat for about 1 1/2 minutes (hmmm...the same amount of time as for a cake mix). Then you add the rest of the liquid ingredients and beat until incorporated, pour it into a pan, bake and voila! Let them eat cake. Really good cake.

I'll bet there are many people who haven't had a scratch cake. They don't know just how good it can taste. Once you go scratch, you'll never go back.

Myth: I need special equipment to bake.
Truth: You probably already have everything you need. If you determine you like baking, you can buy all sorts of special equipment (I have!). But you absolutely don't need it. To make a cake or brownies you need a cake pan (or a loaf pan for pound cake). An 8 or 9 inch square or round pan, old, beat up and ugly will work just fine. I know - I baked a cake at my friend's house a few weeks ago, and she had a 40-year-old sort-of Teflon cake pan, and we made a great cake in it.  You don't even need a mixer, but if you are over 30 20 like me, your arms and shoulders will appreciate it. You need a mixing bowl, but if you don't have that why are you reading this blog? A kitchen scale is great, but you don't need it. You will need measuring cups (1/4, 1/3, 1/2 and 1 cup), and measuring spoons (this is one place you can't cheat and use an eating teaspoon). You can find those for about a buck at the Dollar Store. But I'll bet you have them already. A rubber spatula, whisk and/or wooden spoon will complete the necessities.

Oh, and you need an oven. A toaster oven will work in a pinch.

Myth: I need special ingredients to bake
Truth: Only one or two things are a bit specific. You will need baking powder (Rumford=best, Calumet or Clabber Girl=good) and baking soda. Other than that, you probably have the rest of the ingredients you need - flour (all-purpose will work for most applications but cake flour will take it to the next level), sugar, butter, oil and eggs. A flavoring agent like vanilla is nice too. (Psst - you can use liquor too. Pass it on).

Myth: It's going to take too much time.
Truth: Oh quit whining already. It will take about 5 minutes more to do it from scratch than from a box. We will use the magic of microwaves to make sure of that (although you don't need to have one! No excuses!). If you don't have a microwave it make take a few minutes longer. Sorry. Darn Luddites.

Okay, then, are you ready to bake? Here is an easy recipe that you can try right now. DO IT! DO IT! I'll post a cake recipe tomorrow.

Easy Brownies
Makes about 16 or 8 or 2, depending on how hungry you are.

6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips (if you want to get fancy, use fancier chocolate and chop it up. But that takes work. Whatever you do, don't use Baker's brand baking chocolate. OK use it if you have it. But then buy some better stuff. You'll thank me later.)
8 tablespoons (4 ounces) butter (salted or not)
1 cup granulated sugar (use a couple tablespoons more if you have a sweet tooth)
3 tablespoons cocoa powder (you can omit if you don't have it)
3 eggs (large or medium. If you have extra large or jumbo, use 2)
1/2 teaspoon table salt (or 1/4 teaspoon if you use salted butter)
2 teaspoons vanilla (or 1 tablespoon rum, or Kahlua, or Cointreau, etc.)
1 cup flour (all purpose, bleached or unbleached) or 1 1/4 cups cake flour
(Measure flour by fluffing up the flour with a spoon in whatever container it's in, then scoop your measuring cup in and get it full (one fluid motion; don't jiggle it). Level off the top with a knife or your finger (I won't tell).) If you have a kitchen scale, measure 5 ounces of flour.)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter (or use Crisco or Pam) a 8 or 9 inch square or round pan. The smaller the pan the thicker the brownies. Buttering the pan makes it easier to remove them. If you feel really frisky, line the pan with foil, leaving an overhang for easy removal. Butter the foil. But you don't have to!!

In a microwave safe bowl, nuke chocolate chips for 1 minute on high. Stir with a large spoon, and add butter (cold is fine, room temp, frozen, whatever). Nuke for another minute and stir again. If butter and chips aren't fully melted, just wait a minute. (Gosh, you're impatient!) If they still aren't melted, repeating nuking at 30 second intervals until they are (if it takes more than 3 minutes, your microwave sucks). Remember that carry over heat will finish the job if they are mostly melted. If you don't have a microwave, set a mixing bowl in a saucepan with simmering water. Don't let the bottom of the bowl touch the water. Add chips and butter to the mixing bowl and stir until melted. Remove from heat and continue.

Add sugar and cocoa powder, stirring until combined (I usually use a wooden spoon). Add eggs, one at a time and stir after each one. (It's easier to incorporate them that way. If you want to add them all at once, feel free.) Stir until the mixture is uniform. Stir in salt and vanilla or other flavoring.  Add flour and stir it in just until you don't see white streaks.

Scrape it out of the bowl into the pan and stick it in the oven (middle). Make sure to lick whatever you used to scrape, and the bowl too. Bake for 25 to 40 minutes (smaller pan = thicker brownies = longer time). Check on it after 20 minutes no matter what (in case your oven isn't exact). It's done when the it's puffed a little and there are a few cracks on the edges. Let cool (if you can) then enjoy!

Comments

[ntsc]

Darcie

I don't think that doing it the way the recipe calls for adds any time. While you are creaming the butter you can be doing the rest of your mise in place.

I don't think I've ever baked anything but scratch and I've been doing toll house cookies since about age 8.

ntsc

[KitchenNut]

I love it, Darcie! You made great points (interesting about what Alton Brown says, as well). I love the comment on serving size for brownies. Ahhh, how I can relate! :D

[Darcie]

ntsc, maybe it doesn't take more time but it sure seems that way to me. Also, it looks more complicated, which serves to dissuade people from baking. I want to encourage baking, not discourage it! I really do like the hi-ratio method better. It's also less messy (you only need two bowls, whereas the traditional way you need at least three - one to mix dry ingredients, one for mixing, and one for the wet ingredients).

[ntsc]

Well the next time I do my 4 layer chocolate I'll do 2 my way and 2 yours and time it.

However, I think what speeds things up is having the mise en place and that I can do while the butter is creaming with the sugar.

The rest of the cake, is an inter-layer filling of fresh jam or marmalade, home made of course. I've done orange, lime, rasberry and blackberry (with appropriate liqour) The whole thing covered with a thick chocolate ganache.

The kids love it.