This week’s Throwback Thursday book is an even quarter of a century old. Best-Ever Brownies is a slim paperback, 8-inches square, with 76 brownies recipes ranging from simple fudge to brownie pudding in raspberry sauce.
This is the only book I can find written by Joan Steuer. But you surely know co-author Rick Rodgers. Best‑Ever Brownies proves he was a star right from the beginning. These recipes are clever, filled with chocolate and guaranteed to give you a perfect brownie experience.
It’s a bit of time travel to pick up this book and walk through it. There are no photos. The paper is basic stock, not glossy, but it has survived 25 years on our bookshelves. The font is something from a 19th century primer schoolbook.
It’s an old-fashioned book but with young legs. You can still buy copies via Amazon, starting at $0.01. Recipes, of course, never age. Here’s a link and picture of yesterday's post featuring a very cakey brownie:
The book begins with Part I, The Basics, devoted to:
- An introduction to the types of chocolate, from white to extra dark
- Basic chocolate techniques: chopping, melting and storing
- Baking equipment
- Types of brownies: fudgy, chewy and cakey
- Baking and storing tips
Part II is the recipes devoted to
- Basics including classic fudgy, chew and cakey
- Nutty brownies: Oatmeal Date, Turtl, Maple-Walnut Iced
- Something Borrowed Ideas: ideas from Irena Chalmers, Flo Braker and other baking stars
- Some New Ideas: Prune-Armagnac, Coffee and Cream, S’Mores Brownies
Over the years, I’ve sampled almost a dozen of these recipes. Another fifty years and I’ll have done them all. I need to hurry. So should you. Track down a copy of Best-Ever Brownies and enjoy some great recipes that are timeless.