White Chocolate

Taste Magazine, April 2006:

“White Chocolate is not really chocolate at all as it contains no cocoa solids. It is made from cocoa butter mixed with milk solids, vanilla and emulsifiers. Good-quality white chocolate is made entirely from cocoa butter. Read the label to check for this. Usually, price will be an indicator of quality.” p.44

That probably does explain why white chocolate appears like bleached bars and tastes more milky rather than chocolaty. I am not really fond of white chocolate yet store some bars for time to time, just in case the hormone will make me craving for something really sweet.

I followed this recipe but reduce the sugar by ¼ cup only as the white chocolate is already sweet. I like to taste the milky flavour out of it rather than overpowering the taste by adding so much sugar. However, if you're a madly sweet tooth, you might like to use the whole sugar this recipe tells. The method of mixing the ingredients is also unique.

This is my entry for Brownie Babe, hosted by Myriam of Once Upon A Tart.

White Chocolate Brownie

Source: Taste Magazine, April 2006. p. 44.

275g white chocolate, roughly chopped,
250g butter,
1 cup caster sugar (I use ¼ cup),
4 eggs,
1 Tbs vanilla essence,
2 cups flour,
1 cup chopped pecans, preferably toasted

Icing:
100g butter, softened,
1 ½ cups icing sugar,
few drops vanilla essence,
about 1-2 Tbs milk

Put the chocolate pieces in the top of a double saucepan with the butter. Warm over boiling water until just melted. This can be done in the microwave allowing about 2-3 minutes on high power. Be careful not to overcook the chocolate, as it will burn easily. Cool.

Beat together the sugar, eggs and vanilla essence until mixture is light and fluffy.

Sift the flour and fold into the chocolate mixture alternately with the egg mixture and pecans.

Turn into a greased, floured and lined 23-25 square cake tin.

Bake at 160C for 40-45 minutes until the top is lightly golden but the centre is still a little soft. Remove from the oven and cool at room temperature before refrigerating for 3-4 hours. Remove from the tin.

To make the icing, beat the butter until pale and fluffy. Sift the icing sugar and beat into the creamed butter with the vanilla essence and sufficient milk until you have a fluffy, light mixture. If you need the mixture to spread more easily, add a little more milk.

Ice the cake. Cut into squares to serve. Dust with cocoa or decorate with melted chocolate. Makes 24-30 squares.