Food: Black and White Brownies with Batch Ice Cream

For my second installment of brownies matched with Batch, I went internet trolling for something unique, and found what I was looking for in a Saveur recipe for Black and White Brownies. I was sucked in by the use of almond extract (one of my favorite extracts), though a little unnerved by the large amount of eggs required. I’m partial to fudgey vs. cakey brownies, and was concerned these would be too fluffy. In reality, they turned out to be fairly dense (though that may be because I slightly undercooked them) and the almond flavor was strong though not overpowering (though I accidentally doubled the dose).

If I made these again I’d use 1 1/2 the suggested amount of almond, and I’d either skip the “white” part altogether, or double it. As it was, the cream cheese/sugar/egg mixture made a pretty marbling effect but didn’t do much for taste. Other possible alterations for the next time around? Adding some chopped cherries or walnuts.

For the Batch Ice Cream accompaniment, I tried the Ginger. The almond and chocolate flavors in the brownies were already strong, but the Ginger cut through the sweetness and enabled me to eat more, which I appreciated. This is what I like the most about the Batch Ginger – the flavor is clean, bright, and refreshing while still being creamy. Try it blended with some frozen peaches and seltzer if brownies are too much on a humid spring day. Voila!