Page 270 - Chocolate Cake Doctor

252 C H O C O L A T E C H E E S E C A K E S A N D S O M U C H M O R E

the hot cream over the chocolate chips,
R and with a wooden spoon stir the mixture
until the chocolate melts. Place the bowl,
the Cake Mix Doctor says uncovered, in the refrigerator to chill com-
pletely, 1 hour.
It’s tough to tell when brownies are
2. Meanwhile, place a rack in the center
done, and unfortunately they overbake
of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.
easily. It’s even tougher to tell when
Lightly mist the bottom of a 13- by 9-inch
you scatter chips and nuts on top,
because then you can’t see the center pan with vegetable oil spray. Set the pan
of the cake and if you stick a toothpick aside. Set aside a glass trifle dish or a large
in the cake, it will come up wet with glass salad bowl.
melted chocolate! So use your nose.
3. Place the brownie mix, melted butter,
In about 20 minutes the brownies
buttermilk, and eggs in a large mixing
will smell very good. Let them bake
bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon until all
another few minutes, and pull them
the ingredients are incorporated, about
out of the oven at 25 minutes. Let them
50 strokes. Pour the batter into the pre-
go another minute if you are unsure.
pared pan, smoothing it out with a rubber
The nice thing about this dessert is
spatula. Scatter the chocolate chips and
that you can overbake the brownies a
the pecans evenly over the top of the bat-
bit and not worry because so many
delicious things are on top! ter. Place the pan in the oven.
One last note: If you want to turn
4. Bake the cake until the outside 2
this into a totally decadent confection,
inches have formed a crust and it feels
drizzle a little Kahlúa or orange-
firm, 25 to 30 minutes (see “the Cake Mix
flavored liqueur, such as Cointreau,
Doctor says”). Remove the pan from the
over the brownies after you crumble
oven and place it on a wire rack to cool
them into the dish.
completely, 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, place the electric mixer
1. For the chocolate mousse, place the
beaters in the refrigerator to chill.
chocolate chips in a medium-size mixing
bowl and set aside. Place the cream in a 6. Remove the chilled chocolate mixture
small saucepan over medium heat. Bring and the chilled beaters from the refrigerator.
to a boil, then remove from the heat. Pour Beat the chocolate mixture on medium-high