How to Make Pot Brownies
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With weed being legalized for recreational use across a handful of states, certain residents are wasting no time incorporating marijuana into their cooking. Cedella Marley, health guru and daughter of reggae icon Bob Marley, offers a classy upgrade to pot brownies in Cooking With Herb ($20). With a low dose of THC, these desserts are perfect for people who have never tried edibles before, but Marley's cookbook contains plenty of tips in case anybody overindulges.
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Double Chocolate Brownie Truffles With CannaButter
INGREDIENTS
- CannaButter:
- 1/4 ounce (7 grams) cannabis flowers (dose based on 15% THC herb)
- 4 sticks (1 pound) unsalted butter
- Brownies:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons CannaButter
- 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (at least 65% cacao), finely chopped
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons Dutch process cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3 large cage-free eggs
- 1/2 cup dark-brown sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated cane sugar
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Chocolate Coating:
- 9 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil
INSTRUCTIONS
To make the CannaButter: Grind the herb using a hand grinder (you don't want it to be powder fine — think dried oregano).
Combine the butter and 2 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a low simmer over medium heat. Once the butter begins to melt, add the ground cannabis.
Reduce the heat to low and cook the butter very gently, stirring occasionally and maintaining a temperature of between 200° and 250°F, until the top layer in the saucepan changes from watery to glossy and thick, 2 to 3 hours — you may need to add water if the temperature gets close to the 250°F mark (so the butter doesn't scorch).
Set a sieve over a medium bowl (preferably glass) and line the sieve with cheesecloth. Pour the infusion into the sieve and let it sit until all of the butter has been filtered, about 5 minutes. Wrap the edges of the cheesecloth over the herb and use a rubber spatula to press on the solids to extract all of the butter (discard the solids). Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate the strained butter for at least 3 hours or overnight.
The next day, lift out the solid block of butter and discard any liquid remaining in the bowl. Use a paper towel to pat the surface of the butter on all sides to absorb any droplets of moisture. Wrap the butter in two layers of plastic wrap and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 months or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
To make the truffles: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly coat an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray. Fold a long piece of parchment paper or foil lengthwise to fit the pan, allowing the ends to extend over the sides of the pan. Lightly grease the parchment or foil.
Place the butter, CannaButter, and chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Fill a medium saucepan with 2 inches of water and bring it to a simmer over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and set the bowl with the butter and chocolate over the simmering water (make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water) and stir often until the butter and chocolate are melted and smooth. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and set aside.
Whisk the flour, cocoa, and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside. Combine the eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, molasses, and vanilla in a large bowl and whisk until the mixture is thick and pale, about 1 minute of intense whisking. Whisk the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and once combined, whisk in the flour mixture until no dry streaks remain.
Scrape the brownie batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs attached but no sticky batter, 20 to 22 minutes. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool completely.
Once the brownies are cool, use the ends of the parchment or foil to lift the brownies out of the pan. Trim the edges off the brownies (save these to make brownie crumbs to sprinkle over ice cream or for snacks). Slice the brownies lengthwise into 6 equal strips and then each crosswise into 4 pieces (24 small pieces total). Roll each piece into a ball (dampen your hands to prevent sticking).
To make the chocolate coating: Combine the chopped chocolate and coconut oil in a heatproof bowl. Fill a medium saucepan with 2 inches of water and bring it to a simmer over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and set the bowl with the coconut oil and chocolate over the simmering water (make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water) and stir often until the chocolate is melted and the oil and chocolate are smoothly combined. Remove the bowl from the saucepan.
Working quickly (before the chocolate-oil mixture has time to cool), balance a brownie ball on a fork and dunk it into the magic shell to coat it completely. Lift it out, letting the excess coating drip off back into the bowl, then place it on a piece of parchment or wax paper. Repeat with the remaining brownie balls. (If the coating cools too much and gets hard, rewarm. Return the water to a simmer, set the bowl over the water, and stir occasionally until the mixture is fluid once again.)
Chill the truffles in the refrigerator until the shell hardens, at least 15 minutes or up to 3 days. You can eat them chilled or let them sit out at room temperature for a bit before serving (if your room is very warm, the shell may soften and become sticky as the brownie comes to room temperature, so don't let them sit out too long).