It automatically rings a bell and makes us all happy when we hear the word “brownies”. We start imagining and craving for its oh-so-yummy and chocolaty taste. A brownie as we all know, is a sweet flattened square chocolate baked treat that is a favourite with so many people. But who knows what a Broonie is?  There is indeed also a baked goody called a “broonie”. Yes it sounds like brownie but it’s different in many ways, including its color, texture and also taste. Let’s find out more and see what you think about a Broonie or a Brownie as you choice of food gift or treat.

A Broonie is ginger bread made with oatmeal. Commonly called a “Broonie Orkney”, this treat originated in Orkney Islands, an archipelago in the Northern Isles of Scotland, United Kingdom where the staples for bread are corn, barley and oats.

According to www.food.com, a Broonie is derived from the Old Norse word which refers to a thick bannock. Broonie is a lovely light gingerbread, gorgeous with a cup of hot milky tea on a dark Scottish winter’s night. Its’ home style, great taste and rustic appeal makes for a wonderful food gift. Whether it be personal or a handmade food for a business gift, the Broonie is a very much appreciated sentiment.

Unlike Brownies, the Broonies’ primary ingredient is Oatmeal. Of course, Brownie recipes, well, at least shall we say we know for sure, Dello Mano brownies, call for chocolate as one of the key ingredients.  The Broonie recipe however relies strongly on the use of oatmeal.

Brownies and Broonies are further separated by another factor. The Broonie is usually baked in a form of a loaf bread whereas the Brownie in a tray or flat pan.

The Broonie has as a distinct flavour with the addition of ginger. While Ginger Brownies are definitely available ( we do one here at Dello Mano), the Broonie with its’ absence of chocolate, allows for a very distinct ginger flavour profile.

The  wholesome whole grains used to craft the Broonie makes it a fantastic health food gift or treat. Of course if it is a chocolate gift you’re looking for, then we say you can’t go past  a Brownie :)- but having said that, all handmade food gifts are such a treat even we can live without the chocolate… at least once or twice.

To better understand the Broonie, here’s the recipe we found on the internet that you might like to try at home. Let us know what you think.

Ingredients:

• 175g medium oatmeal
• 175g self-raising flour (sifted)
• 1pinch salt
• 85g unsalted butter, cubed
• 1tablespoon ginger, heaping
• 85g light muscovado sugar
• 2tablespoons black treacle
• 1free-range egg, beaten

• 150ml buttermilk

Yields: 1 loaf

Method:

1. Preheat oven 170°C.
2. Combine oatmeal,salt and flour.
3. Rub in butter,stir in sugar and ginger.
4. In a small saucepan heat treacle gently,stir in egg. Pour into dry ingredients add buttermilk and stir thoroughly until all are well combined.
5. Pour batter into a buttered 900g/2lb loaf tin.
6. Bake 60-70 minutes until knife inserted in centre comes out clean.
7. Cool on a wire rack and cool COMPLETELY before turning out.

Something that both Brownie and Broonie have in common is that both are best left to “mature” for a few days. Allowing both baked treats time to settle and for the flavours to develop, really does result in a better final product. Not sure about Broonies, but I know for sure, it’s awfully hard to protect a new batch of brownies as they  “mature”-  since generally they’re eaten up in the first few minutes they come out of the oven!

So what do you say? – Broonie or Brownie as your choice of food gift or would that choice be different if it’s just a treat at home to enjoy with the family? Our vote here, is of course a Brownie as our Chocolate gift – but then again we’re fairly biased.

Broonie or Brownie, handmade food is the best treat every time!

Taking the time to understand some chocolate basics is a great idea when you decide to start cooking with chocolate in your kitchen.  Each of the chocolate types will behave quite differently and so understanding the basic nuances will short circuit a few of the common errors.

Because the chocolate types vary in their composition and their behaviour it’s usually not a straight substitution for one over the other in a recipe. Often the brownie recipe or chocolate cake recipe for example, will need to be adjusted to accommodate the different chocolate type. Sometimes it’s simply not possible to substitute one chocolate for another in a brownie or chocolate cake recipe..

So lets take a look at some chocolate basics:

Unsweetened Chocolate

Unsweetened chocolate is 99% chocolate. It contains nothing else and as a result has a very strong, rugged and intense flavour. It’s very bitter and I think most people would say it is very unpleasant to eat in this form. Unsweetened chocolate is  rarely used in baking although can be used to bake brownies when you are looking for something that has a very intense and interesting flavour.

Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate is a lovely eating chocolate. It performs equally as well as a baking chocolate as it does a chocolate bon bon. Dark Chocolates may contain varying degrees of sugar. The % chocolate means the percentage of chocolate liquor the chocolate contains.

Usually the % chocolate liqor indicates the amount of sugar in the block. For example a 60% chocolate will contain a little under 40% sugar and usually some emulsifier and a vanilla.

The greater the amount of sugar the more the actual chocolate liquor flavour is masked. It’s important to remember when choosing a  chocolate that the higher the solids level the more the fuller flavour profile of the chocolate will appear.

Take note though, that the higher the chocolate solids (higher chocolate liquor) does make the chocolate a little more difficult to use. This issue arises often when making emulsions such as a dark chocolate ganache where separation may occur . If you decide to use a higher solids chocolate then you may need to add a little extra sugar to your brownie recipe just to round and soften out the flavour.

If you are tempering Dark Chocolate then follow this guide:

Melting Temperature 45-50C

Cooling Temperature 28-29C

Tempering Temperature 31-32 C

Milk Chocolate

Milk chocolate contains milk solids that generally replace some of the cocoa solids. The result is a chocolate that is creamier and smoother in taste and texture. It generally contains more sugar.

Because milk chocolate contains milk solids, it’s very sensitive to heat. This also makes it very difficult to use in cooking and it definitely cannot be substituted for dark chocolate in a brownie recipe.

Milk chocolate is best used in no bake recipes for items like chocolate sauce or of course bon bons.

Milk chocolate has a great purpose – to eat it as a chocolate rather than use it as a baking chocolate!

If you are tempering Milk Chocolate then follow this guide:

Melting Temperature 45-50C

Cooling Temperature 28-29C

Tempering Temperature 31-32 C

White Chocolate

White chocolate continues to confound the chocolate purist. Strictly speaking, white chocolate is not a chocolate – but try telling that to a white chocolate lover!

White chocolate contains no cocoa liquor only cocoa butter. It contains sugar, milk solids, emulsifier and vanilla. It is, as a result the sweetest of chocolates.

The combination of milk solids and high cocoa butter make it very heat sensitive and the most temperamental chocolate to temper and to use in baking.

The flavour of white chocolate varies significantly amongst different types. Flavour profiles range depending on the milk and sugar types and combinations.

Brownies made with white chocolate are generally called blondies.

If you are tempering white chocolate then follow this guide:

Melting Temperature 45C

Cooling Termperature 26-27C

Tempering Temperature 29-30 C

Courveture Chocolate

Courveture is French and means to literally cover. Chocolate makers use courveture as the higher cocoa butter content makes it easier to use when tempering and chocolate making. Because of its high cocoa butter content, courveture chocolate is predictably very well behaved for the chocolate maker.

Courveture is the chocolate to use if you are coating chocolates and want a very shiny appearance, smooth texture and great snap in your bonbon chocolates.

Cocoa Powder

Cocoa powder is manufactured by pressing the cocoa butter out of the cocoa mass. Naturally this cocoa powder is red or brown in colour and is very acidic.

Alkalised or Dutch Cocoa has been treated with an alkali such as Potassium Carbonate to reduce the acidity of the natural cocoa powder. This process results in a more subtle flavour.

Neither Natural nor Dutch cocoa is better than the other. Importantly though, if you are baking a brownie or a chocolate cake and using a leavening agent, it’s important to consider the cocoa powder type. If your recipe calls for baking soda then for best results use Natural cocoa powder as the combination of acid in the cocoa powder and soda will create a leavening agent, assisting in cake rising. In recipes that call for baking powder use alkalised cocoa to assist in leavening.

Cocoa nibs

Cocoa nibs are produced once the cocoa bean has been roasted. They are little parts of the bean that have been roasted but not ground.  Their flavour is an intense, astringent, chocolate flavour. Their texture is nut like crunchy and they exhibit a range of flavours including  fruity, spicy and acid notes.

Cocoa nibs can easily be used as a replacement for nuts. We use them here at Dello Mano to crust around cakes and as cake toppings. They add a delicious texture and flavour to brownies and cakes.

Interestingly the cocoa nib can be used in both sweet and savoury foods.

Compound Chocolate

Commonly referred  to as “Compound Chocolate” this product is not chocolate at all. Compound ( let’s drop the chocolate) contains vegetable oil and no cocoa butter. It does not requre tempering and so is favoured by many home cooks due to its ease of use in the kitchen. It’s also used by manufacturers looking to cut costs. It

Just understanding the basics of chocolate will really assist you as you begin to use the various different chocolates in your brownies, chocolate cakes or chocolate gifts. It’s a little more effort for sure  to use real chocolate in your brownies or other baked goods. One thing is certain though and that’s that there’s nothing better than a brownie or chocolate cake or cookie or anything for that matter – that’s made using real chocolate.

Deborah Peralta  is co-founder of Dello Mano Luxury Belgian Chocolate Brownies. Known with her partner Mr. Brownie (Bien Peralta) as the Brownie Pioneers. Deborah is a Food Scientist with broad food research, development and brand marketing experience. She was Product Development Manager for a leading international chocolatier.

Dello Mano brownies pioneered the Australian brownie market and are handmade by artisan brownie makers using real Belgian Chocolate in small batches – Brownie Pioneers since 2006.

 

 

Choosing a Chocolate

So you’re looking to bake chocolate brownies or at least use real chocolate in some cooking. Great idea!  Using real chocolate is worth the expense and the time as you’ll finish with a superior treat or chocolate gift in every way.

Let’s take one step back then. Learning how to taste chocolate is essential in your quest to use chocolate in your brownie baking or other cooking endeavours.

We experimented with brownie recipes for 2 years before pioneering our Luxury Brownies in Australia. And believe me, we tried every ingredient possible!  With two small children at the time, I would test bake brownies and then take each new batch for tasting to everything from P&F meetings to ballet rehearsal.

Of course, there were always lots of willing (and hungry!) volunteers to try each of the recipes, as I slowly honed in to my final brownie recipe launch in 2006. At that time, and after much deliberation and lots of happy mums, dads and kids, we decided on a brownie recipe that would contain generous amounts of real chocolate. We thought our luxury brownies would be the perfect option for people looking to buy online premium chocolate gifts, so it was essential to include a quality premium Belgian Chocolate in our brownies.

There are about 300 chemical compounds in chocolate. Many of these are very subtle. Different growing conditions, regions and blends will result in so many, many flavour profiles. Try buying chocolate from different regions and producers so that you can taste the various flavours. Then, let the fun begin and treat yourself to a chocolate tasting session.

Tips on Chocolate Tasting

The art and science of Chocolate tasting does take time and practice. It uses all of your senses, so sit back, enjoy and use these chocolate tasting tips to get you started:

Chocolate Temperature

Allow the chocolate to sit and come to room temperature. Make sure all of the chocolates are out on the bench at the same temperature when you begin your chocolate tasting session.

Cleanse your Palate

Before any chocolate. Drink some water and eat a small piece of dry cracker or soft bread. Some people will use an apple. The idea is to remove all lingering flavours from you palate and allow the really soft nuances of the chocolate flavour profile to exhibit and dance on your palate.

Listen

A great quality, well tempered chocolate makes a very clean snap sound when it is broken. It should not be “plastic like” when it breaks and nor should it crumble.

A quiet tasting environment will help you savour the moments and for that matter enjoy more fully all of the aspects of the tasting session

Smell

Always smell your chocolate – just like a good wine! A good quality chocolate will generally have odours that are very pleasant like fruity, nutty and vanilla aromas.

If the chocolate smells like chemicals, petroleum or other unpleasant odours, then it has either been contaminated or it is a very poor quality chocolate. Equally, any burnt odour is not a good sign. Watch out too, for harsh artificial vanillas which are typically used by inferior chocolate manufacturers.  In the later cases, I suggest discarding the chocolate and not wasting any of your precious time attempting to work with inferior chocolate in the kitchen.

Note that chocolate should have an odour – no odour present, is a sign of a poor chocolate.

Sight

Chocolate should be a beautiful rich brown to dark brown colour. The colour should be even across the piece. If it’s in “temper” then there will be no white streaks caused from either chocolate bloom or sugar bloom. These “blooms” are generally the result of significant changes in chocolate temperature resulting in destabilisation of the chocolate temper.

A great quality chocolate will be shiny and fresh looking.

Taste

For those of you that have managed to hold off, now you can finally taste the chocolate! Place the chocolate on your tongue and just let it sit there. Don’t chew the chocolate. Let it slowly begin to melt on your tongue.

The quality of the melt on your tongue is a sign of the purity of the chocolate. If the chocolate is really slow to melt or is chalky on the tongue then it is generally a sign of a poor quality chocolate. Such undesirable chocolate textures may be as a result of cheaper fats added at some point in the chocolate making process.

As the chocolate melts, note the volatile aromas of the chocolate rise up into your nasal area. At this point the many more different flavours can be detected including both the natural elements of the cocoa itself as well as the flavour complexities that are developed in the chocolate making process.

The roasting, conching and blending of beans can all contribute to flavour development and will give chocolate different flavours.

Feel

A great chocolate should feel wonderful on your tongue. Soft, smooth and free of any graininess or chalkiness is the sign of great quality chocolate.

Grainy and chalky chocolate is the sign of shortcuts in conching. Similarily  a chalky texture is the usual result of a more simple process known as stone ground conching .

A grainy texture may also be the  result of  a poor temper.

A glutinous or sticky texture suggests that less desirable fats have been substituted in the chocolate making process for the more expensive cocoa butter.

Savour the moment

Continue with the chocolate slowly. The lingering taste should be full and strong. Take note that some of the chocolate flavours do appear late and often at the very end of the chocolate. The final flavour should be clean and not bitter or in anyway unpleasant.

Consider the Tasting Order

Tasting samples in the correct order will really help with the chocolate tasting process. Keep these rules in mind.to ensure you palate is protected and refreshed as it receives each new chocolate sensation:

• always taste the chocolate with the lowest percentage cocoa first as this is generally the simplest flavour chocolate and will reduce the chance of overwhelming your taste buds!
• rinse with water (at room temperature)  between chocolate samples
• clean your palate with a small piece of bread or cracker between chocolates
• work through the chocolates slowly as the chocolate tasting process cannot be rushed

Chocolate is an expensive cooking ingredient. But just like cooking with a good wine, the quality is important.  Remember, the quality you put in, will be the quality you get out. Invest in great quality chocolate and you’ll reap amazing results.

And whatever you decide to bake whether it be brownies or cake or cookies or fudge, the result will be so much more pleasing with a chocolate you have voted best in your chocolate tasting session.

Learning to taste chocolate will take some time and commitment but hey, tasting chocolate  is a heck of a great way to spend some hours – all in the quest of learning!

Deborah Peralta  is co-founder of Dello Mano Luxury Belgian Chocolate Brownies. Known with her partner Mr. Brownie (Bien Peralta) as the Brownie Pioneers. Deborah is a Food Scientist with broad food research, development and brand marketing experience. She was Product Development Manager for a leading international chocolatier.

Dello Mano brownies pioneered the Australian brownie market and are handmade by artisan brownie makers using real Belgian Chocolate in small batches – Brownie Pioneers since 2006.