Customer Reviews

The Ultimate Brownie Book: Thousands of Ways to Make America's Favorite Treat, including Blondies, Frostings, and Doctored Brownie Mixes

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Once again, Bruce Weinstein has come up with an ultimate winner, this time with brownies. His other books follow this same format: recipes, then variations. But here, the possibilities are endless, since every recipe has a list of what you can add to make it even better. He and his cowriter say that they are unabashed chocolate lovers. No wonder, because every recipe is loaded with chocolate. I waited for this book to come out, because I liked the other "ultimate" books so well. They're down-to-earth, no gimmick books--you don't have to put up with celebrity egos or foodie snobbery. In the end, there are just lots of good brownie recipes, along with blondies, frostings, and even recipes for doctoring mixes. A chocolate lover's dream, without a lot of fuss and fandango--just what a brownie should be.

This is truly a great book for anyone who simply enjoys baking but much more for all those brownie lovers out there. I agree with the title, "ultimate", no doubt about it!

This book has a great format dividing the numerous recipes into brownies and blondies. If you love both, it gives instructions on how to change and control the texture of them to make them more fudge-like or cake-like. Marvelous! The instructions are really basic, simple-to-use, and helpful even though if you've baked brownies once, you know how to make them for life. The ingredients aren't too hard to get most of the time so with a little experimentation, you'll be churning out the hits in no time.

It has a final section on icings, coverings, and frostings. They're all delicious and easy to make and include a few variations. Each recipe suggests one or two forstings that would complement it well so that makes it all the much easier to match flavors. With so many variations, if you wanted, you'd never stop creating new flavors for your family to enjoy.

I know I sound very enthusiastic about this book but I have good reason to do so. I really have nothing negative to say about this book, except maybe I would've liked some pictures but really, the recipes are so good that I'm not subtracting any stars for this. My family has enjoyed these creations for quite awhile now. A few favorites are the Peanut Butter Brownies, the Mint Brownies, the Coconut Blondies, the Coca-Cola Brownies, and the Chili Pepper Brownies (yes, chili pepper!) This truly is one of my favorite cookbooks.

Okay, I bought this book because the brownie on the cover made my mouth water. Looking at the recipes in the book, I assumed this was the Marble Cheesecake Brownies and I was right. I've made them a dozen times and they come out as good as they look on the cover, every time. I've made about 8 other recipes from this book and let me tell you that these recipes have more chocolate in them than any other brownie recipes I've ever baked. They're just delicious. I'm usually happy if one or two recipes work in any cookbook, but everything I've made so far has been perfect. Don't hesitate any more, buy this book today!

This cookbook is, quite simply, a fabulous resource for the brownie fanatic. Not only will you find out a little about the history of the brownie, but you'll have a recipe for just about any ingredient you've ever contemplated brownie-izing, from cranberry to coffee, oat, sweet potato, and jam (not in one recipe!). The book is easy to navigate and informative, and authors Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough know brownie connoisseurs well enough to choose the perfect key words to describe the creations. Want dense, fudgey goodness? They'll tell you which recipes to use. Prefer light, cake-like chocolate squares? You'll know exactly what recipes to skip.

The book begins with a section called "Special Equipment, Ingredients, and Tips for Success," which includes warnings on baking pan sizes, descriptions of different types of chocolate and additives, and rules of thumb for yielding the best result. The recipes are divided into 4 sections: brownies, blondies (generally "crunchier than brownies, more like a cookie perhaps, or at least a traditional bar cookie"), frostings, and "Fun with Brownie Mixes." The latter has creative suggestions including Brownie Mix Baked Alaska, Brownie Bundt Cake, and Brownie Mix S'mores. Every recipe includes suggestions on variations and stir-ins. My only complaint is that there is no nutritional information provided for the basic recipes... then again, maybe a true brownie fan prefers not to know.

What a collection of recipes--everything from the usual cakey or chewy brownies to crazy things like sweet potato brownies and (my favorite) brownie smores! I love that they saw blondies should have just enough batter to hold the chips in place. I couldn't agree more. I love this book. My kida have never been so happy!

If you love brownines, or just plain chocolate, this book has got a little something for just about every kind of craving you could have. The recipes set up like the recipes from Weinstein's other Ultimate cookbooks where there is a basic recipe with many variations or add-ins so that you can make almost brownie you might be craving. As another reviewer posted, many of the recipes do use eggs and butter, but there are also low-fat and somewhat healthier versions of brownies as well (Low-fat, Applesauce, Fat-free, Gluten-free to name a few). I especially recommend the Cocoa Brownies, they are always a favorite, and the suggestion in the recipe intro is right on, the brownies are totally awesome right out of the freezer! Great cookbook, certainly doesn't need any pictures to enhance what your mind already knows a brownie to look like.

This is a fun and lighthearted cookbook and most all of the recipes seem to work. The kids love it and the "malted milk brownies" have become a popular item. If you're a brownie fan and are looking for a little inspiration, go for it!

My favorite thing about this book is I can make brownies spur-of-the-moment, with what's on hand. Out of unsweetened chocolate? There's a brownie recipe using chocolate chips or cocoa. Out of cocoa? There's a brownie recipe with chocolate syrup as the chocolate! I enjoy a decadent, chocolate dessert as much as the next person and do make the more complicated recipes requiring combinations of bittersweet and semi-sweet chocolates for an extraordinarly special tasting brownie. There are also wonderful icing recipes if you prefer your brownies iced. But, when I need a brownie right away, I turn to this book. With only a few basic cooking ingredients, I can bake brownies tasting much better than a box, with only slightly more effort.

I bought this book because I saw these guys on The View and checked out some of their other titles. Brownies galore. I think my favorite part of this book are the ideas of what to do with a box of brownie mix. Yes, I'm that lazy. I made the cheesecake brownies. My husband threatened to divorce me if I ever "made" him eat anything that good again. I also made these blondies that have more chocolate than dough. Something like more-chocolate-than-blondie blondies. Anyway, I took them to a bake sale and was instantly Mrs. Popularity at school. Everybody else brought prepackaged things and I showed up with this tray of blondies that knocked them out. The teachers bought so many, I don't think the students had a chance. Great book. Heavy on the butter and chocolate, as another reviewer points out--but hey, if you're going to make brownies. . . .

Great recipes- unbelievably delicious brownies. Every time a make a recipe from this book, my friends and family talk about the brownies for months to come. I'm being serious- I've never had that happen with a cookbook before. The Cocoa Brownies are my favorite, and my husband loves the Brown Sugar brownies. My daughter loves the Banana Blondies.