2020-04-01 Bon Appetit

56

The only “problem” with ultra-fudgy brownies

is the monotony: rich, rich, rich. To break

up the intensity, hide them in a layer of

tangy, cooling cream cheese. Not only

does it make it easier to go back for

seconds, it also gets you a ’70s-chic pattern.

Brownies in Disguise

Camouflage

Chocolate

Fudge Brownies

p. 62

Butter

Microwave a whole

stick, still wrapped,

in 10-second

increments, turning

over between each

zap, or cut into

1" cubes and place

in a single layer

on a plate near a

preheating oven,

monitoring closely

so they don’t melt.

Eggs

Place whole eggs in

a medium bowl, then

fill with warm tap

water and let them

hang out as you prep.

Cream/Milk

Microwave in

10-second

increments or heat

in a small saucepan

over low.

ALL-PURPOSE

ADVICE

ROOM

TEMPERATURE

IS NOT

OPTIONAL

When a recipe

specifies room-temp

dairy or eggs,

take notice. Chilled

butter won’t properly

cream; cold eggs

can cause batter

to curdle and

collapse; and the list

goes on. Luckily,

these work-arounds

help chilly ingredients

catch up fast:

When you

accidentally

agreed to host

brunch, bake

these. They’re

filled with date

purée, finished

with vanilla

glaze, and the

bulk of the labor

is done in a

food processor

the night before.

The Get-

Out-of-Bed-

Fast Buns

When you first place

the swirls in the pan,

space them evenly.

As they proof, they

snuggle up so that they

grow taller rather than

wider in the oven.

Brush with glaze while

they’re warm so that it can

soak into all the crannies.