Award Winning Brownies is a recipe from the back of their Sweet Ground Chocolate and Cocoa Powder can. First, a little about the cocoa powder. It’s different from unsweetened cocoa powder in that it has little flecks of chocolate it in and is used to make drinkable hot chocolate. So I think this product is mostly for drinking, but they put a brownie recipe on the back as an other use for it.
Anyhow, one night I took Award Winning Brownies to a party and everyone loved them. No one said “My, these brownies taste balanced and delicate, yet still chocolaty….as if you used Ghirardelli’s sweet ground chocolate with cocoa powder” but people did notice something unique them. I’d definitely make these again.
Ghirardelli Award Winning Brownies
2 eggs
3/4 cup of sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup Ghirardelli sweet ground chocolate and cocoa powder
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (I didn’t use)
1 cup Ghirardelli double chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Using a spoon, stir the eggs with the sugar; Add the vanilla.
Stir in the butter. Sift the chocolate powder with the flour, baking powder and salt and stir flour mixture into the egg mixture. Add the nuts (if using) and chocoalte chips.
Spread in a greased 8 inch square pan. Bake 20-25 minutes or until just set. Let cool completely.
A few notes: It’s always a good idea to line your pan with well-greased or Reynolds “Release” foil. Or if you have it, use parchment paper. This will allow you to lift your brownies right out of the pan. You probably already knew this, but I see so many pictures of brownies in un-lined pans that I thought I’d mention it. I always line my pans.
I didn’t sift the ingredients, but I did stir them together quite well to disperse the baking powder.
Here’s how I made the glaze. It’s a pour on glaze that sets as it cools – kind of like the kind of chocolate glaze on a donut.
Chocolate Glaze
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup Ghirardelli sweet ground chocolate and cocoa powder
1 tablespoon Dutch process cocoa powder
1 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream, half & half or milk (any of those will work, I used cream)
3/4 to 1 cup (you can use more or less if desired) of confectioners sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch of salt
In a heavy saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in chocolate, both cocoa powders and cream; whisk until smooth. Remove pan from heat and whisk in half of the confectioners sugar. Whisk until incorporated. Whisk in remaining. It will be lumpy at first, so continue whisking until smooth. Whisk in vanilla and salt. Work quickly so that it doesn’t get to stiff. Pour it over top of brownies in pan and allow glaze to set. To speed up the process, you can put the glazed brownies in the refrigerator.
Anna
Wow, thanks so much for the tip! I haven’t bought it in a while, but it is a great product.
C. L. Boyd
I used to live in San Francisco where I was introduced to Ghirardelli Ground Chocolate and Cocoa; it came in an orange rectangular can with a round metal top. The brownie recipe on that can was different (and in my opinion better than the one on the round can with the plastic lid). Since moving to Florida, I cannot find Ghirardelli Ground Chocolate and Cocoa in any grocery stores from Tampa Bay to Orlando areas — even Publix Supermarkets (which is headquartered in the city of Lakeland where I live) cannot source it for me. The former Kash & Karry supermarkets (now out of business) used to carry it in some of their stores. Now I get it in 3 pound cans via the Internet from a few different vendors (barista.com or webstaurantstore.com). It’s a staple in my kitchen and can be used for so much more than brownies — makes great hot chocolate and chocolate cream pie to die for!
Anna
Hi Michele,
I haven’t ever doubled this one, but my general rule is to double a 9×9 recipe, use a 15×10 inch pan. If a recipe is made in an 8 inch pan, then I double with a 9×13 inch pan. There are always exceptions, though. Wish I had a better answer, but I tend to use the pan size called for with this recipe. Also, I haven’t made these in a while, as I haven’t had the right cocoa powder.
Michele
Can this recipe for Ghirardelli Award Winning Brownies be easily doubled to fit in a 9″ X 13″ baking pan instead of the 9″ X 9″ square pan? How would you adjust the ingredients amounts, as well as the baking time?
Heidi
So so happy to find this recipe. Been searching for Ghirardelli ground sweetened chocolate in canister with no success — even on their website. I made substitution using combo of sweetened cocoa mix and unsweetened cocoa powder. In oven now, but I can already see just not the same. Any help is appreciated. Thanks.
Anna
Hello Heidi! Sorry to hear you can’t find the Ghirardelli ground chocolate. I thought I saw them on the baking aisle the other day at our local grocery, the HEB. I’ll double check. Hope your last minute substitution works. Maybe your version will be even better.
Heidi
So, so happy I found this recipe; I’ve been searching for the Ghirardelli sweetened ground chocolate canisters — They’re not available anywhere. Any thoughts on a good substitution? I have some brownies in oven now using this recipe and mixing approx third unsweetened Ghirardelli cocoa and two thirds (equaling 3\4 C) sweetened cocoa mix. Will see outcome.
Anna
Hi Josie,
I haven’t made these in a while because I never seem to have the pre-sweetened cocoa powder on hand, but they are really good. Thanks for reminding me about this recipe.
Josie
These brownies are the BEST in my book. Flakey on top yet fudgy in the middle and great chocolate flavor without being over the top sweet – perfect. Search no more, brownies from the box after trying these would be a sin.
Megan
I should have known – all roads lead back to you! I was looking for the Ghirardelli Brownie recipe, and SURPRISE! There’s your link. Ha!
Erika
Mmm. That pie looks stunning, and those brownies are my go-to brownies. I just love Ghirardelli’s Sweet Ground Chocolate- makes a killer cup of cocoa too.
Anna
Sandra, I’m waiting for those recipes ;).Michelle, the brownies are more fudgy.Flyfishinggal, thanks for looking through the blog.
The Wells Family
Hi Anna – These look awesome! I have a question though that I didn’t read in the summary about them – Are they moist and chewy or cakey? I like the ooey gooey moist chewy brownies best. Thanks! And of course, congrats. I love watching all the food tv contest shows and loved the bakeoff! : ) Michelle
cookie jill
oh…yummy! 😉
carole
Oh my. These brownies get made tonight for tomorrow’s picnic.You were great on the special, as usual.
surcie
I forgot to add, congratulations!
surcie
Hey, Anna! I just watched you on the pillsbury bakeoff show. (Your daughter is so cute, and she obviously has a great personality.) The fact that you bake so much is really inspiring! I’ll add you to my blogroll!
s'kat
Mmmmm, I luuurrvve ghirardelli products! My signature brownie recipe is one of theirs.
sandra
Hi Anna,I watched the Bake Off special last night and really enjoyed it! I also saw you on Oprah a while back. Congratulations on your win! I love to bake/cook too. I graduated from Southwest Texas in San Marcos (when it was called that) so I consider the Hill Country my second hometown. I found your blog last night and have really enjoyed reading many of the posts. Since I love to cook and bake my friends and co-workers are constantly asking for my recipes. Whenever I type one up for them I always add my own comments or suggestions that I have discovered to make it better/easier. I read one of your old posts about you throwing away a pecan pie and had to laugh to myself because I make a pecan pie for my good friend every year on her birthday. It always stresses me out because I worry that it won’t turn out and I will have to go back and purchase more pecans (expensive to start with) to make another……lol Everyone loves my pecan pie so I don’t know why I still stress when I make it. I got the recipe from a high school choir cookbook.Anyway thanks for your blog. I will anxiously await future posts and maybe send you a recipe or two.Sandra, Houston, TX