On Dec 31 2007, 10:01*pm, "Julie Bove" > wrote:
> "Greg Esres" > wrote in message
>
> ...
>
> > The Joy of Cooking recipe for "Brownies Cockaigne" contains the
> > instruction to first melt butter and chocolate in a double boiler,
> > then
>
> > **Cool this mixture. *If you don't, your brownies will be heavy and
> > dry.**
>
> > Can someone explain WHY the above statement is true, if it is true?
> > Also, it says to let the eggs come to room temperature before
> > beating. *Again, why?
>
> > Thank you
>
> If you try to mix melted butter in with flour, it won't work very well.
> Fine for a white sauce because the flour sucks up the flour. *But in a white
> sauce you are using something like 1/2 flour and 1/2 butter. *In baked goods
> you have a lot more flour than you do butter. *If you try to mix in melted
> butter, the butter will suck up some of the flour, leaving the rest of the
> flour more dry.

I always use melted butter in my chocolate chip cookies and they turn
out great - no problem with flour. I think it must be something else
in JOC.

As to the eggs, beaten room temperature eggs (allegedly - I haven't
ever measured) have more volume.

N.