Name: Brownies
Yield: Serves one 9 x 13 inch pan (about 2 dozen)
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon green cardamom pods (2 grams); 1 1⁄2 teaspoons pink pepper (3 grams); 1 teaspoon Urfa pepper (2 grams); 3⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, preferably Vietnamese (2 grams); Finely grind the cardamom and pink pepper together and immediately mix with the Urfa and ground cinnamon.; 1 cup salted butter (226 grams), cut into tablespoons; 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (173 grams); 1 3⁄4 cups all-purpose flour (242 grams); 2⁄3 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder (64 grams); 1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt (5 grams); 6 large eggs (360 grams); 2 1⁄2 cups sugar (500 grams)

Chocolate is one of my favorite vehicles for spices. Its sweetness and fat hold flavors nicely, especially when baked into brownies rich with butter. The short-cut to success here is melting the butter and chocolate in the microwave. It’s a trick I learned from a pastry chef in France who swore by it because, with the traditional bain-marie method of melting chocolate in a heatproof bowl over simmering water, there’s a risk of water splashing into the mix and seizing the chocolate. Besides, brownies don’t require perfectly tempered chocolate to come out delicious, so the microwave works just fine. If you don’t have one, simply place the butter and chocolate together in a heavy saucepan over very low heat and stir just until melted. The rest of the batter is straightforward and foolproof and can turn into mini cakes or even ice cream treats. Just don’t overbake it, and you’ll be guaranteed fudgy brownies. Pink pepper brings a floral piquancy that cuts through the richness of chocolate and complements the aroma of cardamom. Urfa pepper heightens the chocolate flavor with its natural cocoa notes.

Brownies

Lior Lev Sercarz, from "Mastering Spice" by Lior Lev Sercarz

Servings/Yield

Serves one 9 x 13 inch pan (about 2 dozen)

Ingredients

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1 teaspoon green cardamom pods (2 grams)
1 1⁄2 teaspoons pink pepper (3 grams)
1 teaspoon Urfa pepper (2 grams)
3⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, preferably Vietnamese (2 grams)
Finely grind the cardamom and pink pepper together and immediately mix with the Urfa and ground cinnamon.

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1 cup salted butter (226 grams), cut into tablespoons
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (173 grams)
1 3⁄4 cups all-purpose flour (242 grams)
2⁄3 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder (64 grams)
1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt (5 grams)
6 large eggs (360 grams)
2 1⁄2 cups sugar (500 grams)

Directions

To make the brownies: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line the bottom and all four sides of a 9 × 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper. If the paper won’t stay down, you can wet the pan a little before pressing in the paper.
Combine the butter and chocolate chips in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minute and stir until smooth. If the chocolate and butter don’t melt completely, microwave for another 15 seconds and stir. Repeat, heating in 15-second intervals, until smooth. Let stand to cool slightly.
Sift the flour, cocoa powder, and salt into a medium bowl and whisk in the spice blend. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until foamy. While whisking the eggs, add the sugar in a steady stream and whisk until the sugar dissolves. Add the butter-chocolate mixture and stir rapidly with a silicone spatula until fully incorporated. Add the dry ingredients and fold gently with the spatula until no traces of flour remain.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, spread it in an even layer, and bake until a toothpick inserted 1 inch from the edge comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
To serve, lift the brownies out of the pan using the parchment paper and cut into 2-inch squares.