I don’t even mind fudgy brownies, but I’ve seen brownies that look like straight up firm chocolate pudding.
And cakey brownies seem so reviled when I’m convinced a lot of people have never even had one, so they’ve got this idea that they’re dry and lacking in richness when it’s simply not the case.
One day I might try Cook’s Illustrated’s chewy brownies, which seems to be a recipe they’re extremely pleased with, and see if they’re as chewy as advertised.
Btw the wet and pasty centers is a problem that particularly plagues soft and chewy cookies these days. I see so many photos where the cookie is just still raw, which is not the same as being moist, and chewy is not the same thing as pasty. I’ve been annoyed seeing recipes calling for under 10 minutes, at which point the cookie hasn’t even puffed and the middles are just wet.
I scored some local QUINCE today at the farmers market. I could not believe it ! Never see it here in southeastern PA ever, and I am an absolute PEST at every local yokel farmers market, orchard and farmstand around here.
The grower is an apple, veg and dahlia farmer from the next county. He’s personally responsible for turning me on to dahlias (he brings them to market, and you can also go to his farm and cut them yourself, which I’ve done) and supplies all the apple seconds I use for applesauce every year. I almost leapt across the counter to hug him when I saw the quince.
He asked me what I was planning to do with it (bake a galette with roasted pears, apples and quince) and told me some people he knows “from Europe” put quince in savory dishes/roasts. Apparently some people also put it in their applesauce.
My favorite thing was a bread pudding we served at a restaurant I worked in. It was boozy and studded with soft quince pieces. I don’t even love bread pudding but this was so delicious.
I also love these quince turnovers from Anna Markow:
I love quince and when I find them, not in a long time, I always make jelly like mom did. A beautiful topaz color, perfect on toast in the morning. I did make a savory/sweet pork roast glaze with a cup of jelly, rosemary, garlic and sage once. Pretty good!
Cream Cheese Coffee Cake from The Cook’s Illustrated Baking Book. I love this cake and it was a big hit at our school staff brunch. Here are the day old, slightly squished pieces that were left.
I made this one-bowl whole-wheat applesauce bread. It’s very lightly sweet, so I’m glad I added a thinly sliced peeled apple (and walnut pieces). I would up the sugar slightly next time.
