Brownie Points

Dark, rich and chocolaty brownies are definitely the epitome of the genre, so they were definitely a good choice for the cover shot of Brownie Points: Over 100 Outrageously Delicious and Easy Variations on North America’s Favorite Dessert. When the cover is mouth watering, it’s often a good sign of things to come – especially when those treats on the cover are four different types of brownies, not just one.

There is a lot of versatility in this book for a single-subject cookbook. It is broken down into sections by type – and instead of doing a “brownies with x” or “brownies with y” and calling it variety, the categories include cakes, cookies, desserts and puddings in addition to basic, fudgy bar cookies. Perhaps my favorite, not to mention the most unique, section of the book is the chapter of “brownies for breakfast.” The recipes range from dressed up basics to really inventive treats, like Brownie Curd and Brownie French Toast (from the aforementioned breakfast section).

The book includes the basic chocolate recipes for all the bars, cakes, etc., but also includes a lot of excellent information on accompaniments. For instance, chocolate ganache and its applications are discussed in some detail, as is chocolate pate sucre, which can be a base for tarts and cookies. Any accompaniments that aren’t obviously chocolaty, such as the Hot N’Spicy Pecans, come with “brownie point” tips to incorporate them in with different brownie recipe. All the photos are excellent and very tempting on their own, largely because everything looks very rich and brownie-like (not just like a chocolate cookie with a new name). This is a great cookbook for a brownie lover, especially if you like to experiment with different techniques or flavors with a favorite base.