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

BTW, I have yet to find a brownie recipe that is as good as Betty
Crocker.

"Greg Esres" > wrote

> Also, it says to let the eggs come to room temperature before
> beating. Again, why?

Coincidentally, I got a copy of Cook's Country in the mail today and
there was a comment about warm eggs, quoting: Baking recipes
commonly call for room-temperature eggs because the warmer the egg,
the more relaxed its proteins become, allowing for more air bubbles
to be incorporated when whipped.

Guess it has to do with the texture of the brownies.

nancy

Nancy Young > wrote:

>"Greg Esres" > wrote

>> Also, it says to let the eggs come to room temperature before
>> beating. Again, why?

>Coincidentally, I got a copy of Cook's Country in the mail today and
>there was a comment about warm eggs, quoting: Baking recipes
>commonly call for room-temperature eggs because the warmer the egg,
>the more relaxed its proteins become, allowing for more air bubbles
>to be incorporated when whipped.

>Guess it has to do with the texture of the brownies.

So far as I know eggs are always supposed to be at room
temperature before you use them, whether it's for baking or
anything else.

"General cooking suggestions for eggs: It is better to have
eggs at room temperature when you cook them." (James Beard)

Steve

On Dec 31, 9:15 pm, (Steve Pope) wrote:
> Nancy Young > wrote:
> >"Greg Esres" > wrote
> >> Also, it says to let the eggs come to room temperature before
> >> beating. Again, why?
> >Coincidentally, I got a copy of Cook's Country in the mail today and
> >there was a comment about warm eggs, quoting: Baking recipes
> >commonly call for room-temperature eggs because the warmer the egg,
> >the more relaxed its proteins become, allowing for more air bubbles
> >to be incorporated when whipped.
> >Guess it has to do with the texture of the brownies.
>
> So far as I know eggs are always supposed to be at room
> temperature before you use them, whether it's for baking or
> anything else.
>
> "General cooking suggestions for eggs: It is better to have
> eggs at room temperature when you cook them." (James Beard)

That is correct.
>
> Steve

--Bryan

"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.

Nancy Young wrote:

<<Baking recipes commonly call for room-temperature eggs because the
warmer the egg, the more relaxed its proteins become, allowing for
more air bubbles
to be incorporated when whipped. >>

Ok, I see similar comments in McGee's "On Food and Cooking". Still,
not all recipes mention this and I haven't observed any difference
between room temp and cold. Perhaps using an electric mixer heats up
the eggs while beating?

Thank you

Julie Bove wrote:

<<If you try to mix melted butter in with flour, it won't work very
well. >>

Cooling the mixture doesn't mean that it turns solid. I used the
mixture 3 hours or so after I melted it; it was still melted, but
cool.

Thank you

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.