Recipe(tried): Maida Heatter's Palm Beach Brownies and Maida Heatter's Palm Beach Mint Brownies

Hi Everyone,

I just had to share this one with you. My cousin called me from Miami the other day to relate to me what was served at one of our cousin's 40th birthday party. Among the many delicious dishes was a cake stand filled to the top of awesome brownies that my cousin raved about. They were sent over by none other than Maida Heatter herself. She happens to be the neighbor of the friend who hosted the bash.

Well, the brownies are her famous Palm Beach Brownies. My cousin told me they literally flew off the cake stand. She raved and raved about them. So I dug up my old Maida Heatter cookbook and there was the recipe...one I had never tried out. I was too curious about this so I made them last night and wrapped them individually for DH to take in to his staff. No way were those brownies staying in my house after I tasted one, and MAMA MIA!!!! These are killer brownies, the only ones I will ever make again.

I want to share the recipe with you and the one with peppermint patties and walnuts in the middle, to die for!! Maida Heatter is surely the doyenne, the Queen of all desserts. Her recipes are easy to follow and they are preceeded by a little story about it. I am going to pay more attention to that book now!!

Enjoy...and let me know if you make them, how it goes at your house. Do not be afraid of the long directions, after doing it, it seems like nothing. You will learn a new way of preparing the brownie pan which I think is marvelous!! (Pssst...no clean up afterwards!)

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MAIDA HEATER'S PALM BEACH BROWNIES
Adapted from Maida Heatter's Book of Great Chocolate Desserts

These are the biggest, thickest, gooiest, chewiest, darkest, sweetest, mostest-of-the-most chocolate bars with an almost wet middle and a crisp-crunchy top. It is best to bake these a day before - they cannot be cut into bars when they are too fresh.

8 oz (8 squares) unsweetened chocolate
8 oz (2 sticks) sweet butter
5 eggs- large or extra-large
1 tbs vanilla extract
1 tsp salt
1 tsp almond extract
2 1/2 tbs dry instant espresso or other powdered (not granular) instant coffee (Use Bustelo Espresso)
3 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 2/3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
8 oz (2 generous cups) walnut halves or large pieces

Adjust rack one-third up from the bottom of the oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 9 x 13 x 2 inch pan as follows:

Invert the pan. Cover the pan with a long piece of aluminum foil shiny side down. Using your hands, press down on the foil around the sides and the corners to shape it like the pan.
Remove the foil.

Turn the pan right side up, and place the foil in the pan. Butter the foil with soft or melted butter. The easiest way is to place a piece of butter in the pan. Place the pan in the oven while it is warming up. When the butter is melted use a pastry brush to spread it all over the sides and bottom of the foil. Set the prepared pan aside.

Place the chocolate and the butter in the top of a large double boiler over hot water on moderate heat, or in a 4 by 6 cup heavy saucepan over very low heat. Stir occasionally until the chocolate and the butter are melted. Stir to mix. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the following for 10 minutes at high speed: eggs, vanilla, almond extract, salt, dry instant coffee, and sugar.

On low speed, add the chocolate mixture and beat until mixed. Add the flour and again beat only until mixed. Remove from the mixer and stir in the nuts. Turn into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes, reversing the pan front to back as necessary during baking to insure even baking.
At the end of baking the cake, it will have a thick, crisp crust on the top. But if you insert a toothpick into the middle it will come out wet and covered with chocolate. Nevertheless it is done. Do not bake it anymore. Remove the cake from the oven and let stand at room temperature until cool.

Cover with cookie sheet and invert. Remove the pan and the foil lining carefully. Cover with a cookie sheet lines with wax paper and invert again, leaving the cake right side up. Now the cake must stand for 6 to 8 hours or preferably overnight, before it is cut into bars. Or, it may be refrigerated to a few hours.

Since the tip of the cake will be crusty, and the middle will be wet, use a serrated bread knife to cut. If the ends of the cake are a little too dark, cut them off. Cut the cake into quarters, then each quarter in half lengthwise, then each piece into 4 equal pieces. . It will probably be necessary to wipe the blade with a damp cloth after each cut. Wrap individually in cellophane or wax paper, or package them in an airtight container with wax paper between the layers. Do not let them dry out.

Source: Maida Heatter's Book of Great Chocolate Desserts

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MAIDA HEATTER'S PALM BEACH MINT BROWNIES

8 oz. unsweetened chocolate
2 sticks unsalted butter
5 large eggs
3 3/4 cups sugar
1 tbls. + 1 teas. instant espresso powder
2 teas. vanilla extract
1/2 teas. almond extract
1/4 teas. salt
1 2/3 cups sifted flour
2 cups walnuts, broken in large pieces
2 bags York peppermint patties

Microwave chocolate and butter, stir until smooth, set aside. Beat eggs, sugar, espresso powder, vanilla, almond extract and salt in large bowl of electric mixer at high speed 10 minutes. While egg mix is beating, line a 13x9-inch pan with foil and brush with butter or spray with Pam. Unwrap mints (put about 15 aside; you won't need them all). When egg mix has hit 10 minutes, reduce speed to low; add chocolate mixture (which may still be warm). Beat just until mixed. Add flour; beat on low speed just until mixed. Remove bowl from mixer; stir in nuts. Pour half of mixture (about 3 1/2 cups) into the pan. Place 1 layer of mints, touching each other and edges of pan, all over batter. Pour remaining chocolate mixture over; smooth top.

Bake at 400 until brownies have firm crust, but center is wet when tested with toothpick, about 30 minutes. You may have some burned edges, which you can cut off later. Cool on wire rack. Remove pan and foil lining, and refrigerate several hours or overnight before cutting into bars. Pack in airtight box. They freeze perfectly.