Brownies 101 + Chocolate Plastic

Brownies 101-

Okay, I'm sure most of you already know how to make amazing brownies, but it has taken me awhile to figure out. I don't know why I have never thought of it before, but I have had problems in the past with getting my brownies to cook evenly (usually they are crunchy on the outer edge and gooey in the middle). The trick my friends is parchment paper. I lined my pan with parchment paper and trimmed the edges (you do not want parchment hanging over the edge of your pan). After it had had cooled I carefully lifted the brownies out, and voila, they were cooked evenly.

This is a recipe that I use when I want to mold chocolate into shapes (like the flower in the picture) to add a little extra flare to your dessert tray:

Chocolate Plastic-

• 2/3 cup lt. corn syrup
• 16 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

* For a variation, using white or milk chocolate reduce corn syrup to 1/2 cup

In a saucepan over medium heat stir the corn syrup and chocolate together, continue stirring until they are mixed thoroughly. Line jelly roll pan with plastic wrap and spread the mixture 1/3" thick. Let cool completely (I usually make this recipe and store in the fridge a few days before). When ready to mold, let the chocolate mixture stand at room temperature for several hours, knead and roll out about 1/8" - 1/4"thick. Cut into desired shapes.