The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Bites of brownie bliss
You can give your valentine goodies with some sweet, homemade flair.
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Have you decided on a scrumptious treat for your sweetheart? Consider the brownie. For inspiration, we turned to Chrysta Poulos, creative director for pastry for Ford Fry’s six Atlanta restaurants.
For the past two she has been creating new desserts for El Felix, King + Duke, The Optimist, JCT. Kitchen & Bar, St. Cecilia and 246.
“I’ve always loved baking. I started off making biscuits with my grandmother and graduated to making the dressing for our Thanksgiving turkey. I find that pastry-making is very precise and fits my personality. Designing desserts for our restaurants means I’m never bored. It really keeps me on my toes,” she says.
Her plans for this year’s special Valentine desserts include Vanilla Roasted Pineapple with Creme Chantilly at The Optimist, Lemon Sorbet with Prosecco at St. Cecilia, Chocolate Almond Torte at 246, and lots and lots of brownies.
At JCT Kitchen, they’ll be offering Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies.
And at King + Duke? Passion Fruit Brownies.
Lucky for us, she’s sharing those recipes as well as a recipe for Chocolate Brownie Truffles that will change your definition of “chocolate truffle” forever.
“Who doesn’t like brownies?” asks Poulos. They’re chewy, gooey and super sweet. It’s the perfect Southern dessert and they’re really easy to make.”
When asked for her own brownie preference, Poulos confesses to liking brownies that are crisp around the edge and chewy in the center, not too dense and not too much like cake.
And she has plenty of tips for making delicious brownies at home. The key is to find a good recipe, then not over bake.
For someone who doesn’t like chocolate, how about passion fruit brownies? They’re perfect for that someone who prefers to order a citrus dessert, lighter in flavor than chocolate, but with rich tropical fragrance and flavor.
No matter what the flavor, bake your brownies just until the edges begin to pull away. If you bake them until a toothpick or other tester inserted into the center comes out clean, they’ll be overdone.
Wait until the brownies are completely cool before cutting. If you can, bake them the day before and then cut after they’ve rested at least 24 hours.
When cutting brownies, whether using a knife or shaped cutters, clean your cutter with hot water between pieces to get the best-looking results.
These brownies are not only delicious, but they really should be made ahead. Bake your pans of brownies one day, then let them cool and cut them the next. The cut brownies and truffles will still be good for another two days if you wrap them well and refrigerate. Be sure to bring to room temperature before serving or giving.
And don’t forget after you cut out your brownies to use the scraps to make truffles.
You won’t want to waste a single crumb.