BEER BROWNIES WITH MILK

I think one of the most effective Got Milk? Ads I've ever seen, was the one where a group of kids are working in a brownie factory, and the little foreman has to give a taste.  He takes a big bite and reaches for the glass. Empty.  He walks over to a water-cooler looking thing with a milk sign on it, and out come a few paltry drops.  Cheeks filled with brownie and despair, he yells, "No Milk!" A worker offers him the only thing they have: water. End scene.

Man, I feel for that kid.

Have you ever tried to eat a brownie, alone? With no liquid help at all? "Cookies and milk" as a pairing has become so ubiquitous, it has become an idiom, but in my opinion, "brownies and milk" are the better couple.  Cookies with milk are great, but their tender, sometimes crisp texture, and buttery flavor don't long for milk the way a dense brownie does.  The brownie needs milk, the cookie just enjoys it.  

So in a few days we're celebrating great couples, I don't know if there's a better one than brownies and milk.  Each improves the other, and isn't that what we're looking for in a great partnership?

And I almost forgot to mention the beer!  These are Beer Brownies, #2.  Simplified and richer than the original recipe, the beer brings a lightness to the brownies that makes these unlike an others you've had.  The deep, rich flavors of stout or porter are perfect with chocolate, but if beer isn't your thing, cold coffee is a delicious substitute.  Enjoy!

Beer Brownies with Milk

3 ½ oz semi sweet chocolate8 tablespoons of butter, browned

4 eggs, at room temp

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Valrhona)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup flour

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup stout (or any dark beer) or cold coffee

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F

Sift together the flour and cocoa powder. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a bowl over boiling water.  In a small pan over medium heat, melt the butter until it just turns golden brown.  Pour the brown butter into a bowl, scraping the pan to get the brown bits (this prevents it from overcooking).  Beat together the eggs and sugar until thick and shiny (2 minutes). Continue beating on low while adding flour mixture and wet ingredients alternatively. Finish with the vanilla. Do not over mix. Fold in the chips. Pour into a buttered and floured 9 x 13 pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes.