FAIL Brownie
06. Oct, 2009 
16 Comments
Having been a professional baker for the past four or so years, I’ve tested a lot of recipes. I’m a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to food, particularly baking, and I really hate it when something doesn’t work out. Even though I have a great brownie recipe that I love, I’m so obsessive that I just can’t leave well enough alone. The possibility of finding a better recipe is just too tempting, so I find myself occasionally testing things I don’t really need to.
Most vegan baking is pretty straight forward. Brownie recipes, however, can be particularly tricky. I tested a LOT of brownies both at the bakery where I worked, and also when I started C’est La V Bakeshop. With most non-vegan recipes, you can just make a few tweaks and substitutions to come up with a really great product. Not so with brownies. I know this, and know it well, but I found this Martha Stewart recipe that someone had written great things about, so of course I just had to try it. Should have known better.
Normally I wouldn’t be posting failed experiments here, but this one ended up kind of working out? I took the brownie out early, realizing that it was doing that thing that other failed brownies have done in the past. As it sat cooling, I couldn’t help but taste a little spoonful. It was really yummy, like a thick, sort of weird hot fudge sauce. Let’s be honest, it was basically hot brownie batter. Since I have no shame, I thought it might be really good over ice cream. I got a teeny scoop of Tempt Vanilla Bean ice cream and spooned some of the “brownie” over it. Pretty awesome. I gave Ryan a bite and he flipped out. We then proceeded to make and devour a whole bowl of it.
Am I proud? No. Was it good? Hell YES!
This is taking “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade” to a whole other, more exciting level!
WOW! When a mistake leads to something similar to hot fudge sauce then I think you should call it a SUCCESS! Looks amazing.
I would love this dense chocolate brownie.
Amazing!
My failures never look so tempting! I think the idea of a hot fudge brownie “sauce” over ice cream is heavenly.
There is nothing wrong with that! It sounds incredibly good. But I guess I like any chocolatey cake batter and over any kind of vegan ice cream. mmmmm.
way to make the best of things! that actually appeals more to me right now than a real brownie!
oh my gosh, i would eat brownie batter all the time if i could!! i really hate when things don’t turn out either. sometimes it’s just the recipe or sometimes it’s me being like “apple butter is the same thing as apple sauce, right?” or other such substitutions that only work in my head. glad you got to enjoy this recipe nonetheless!
Yes, why ARE brownies so difficult? I’ve never had much success making them from scratch, either. I’d happily eat hot chocolate batter.
I totally understand trying new brownie recipes. If someone raves, I’ll probably try it. Kudos for turning life’s brownie lemon into…brownieade?
Oooh, yum! Failure turned delicious.
Haha, I’d eat it, calorie count be damned. And only feel a teeeensy bit guilty.
Hot brownie batter over Tempt? Awesome.
You have just reminded me that I need to make one of my favorite desserts again soon: frozen brownie batter. All you do is make your favorite brownie recipe, freeze it in the pan, and eat it with a spoon. It’s like the richest fudgiest ice cream you could ever have. It is INCREDIBLE. I’m sure your brownie ice cream bowl would put up a good fight against my frozen brownie batter in a duel!
Your brownie looks amazing to me!
What ingenuity! I love it. I have had so many bad batches of brownies doing that “thing”. I should have grabbed them out and used them as intelligently as you had! Completely relate to this whole post.
Thanks…
Classic example of “failing up.” My favorite.