Simple Brownies with oil

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Xlr8

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2012
I posted this in a reply a few moments ago, but thought I'd make a separate thread in case someone finds it helpful - it's nothing new, but this works well for me:

What I do:

If the recipe calls for a 1/3 cup of oil - I start with a 1/2 cup. I then mix in enough "shake" to make it thicken up a bit (the amount of shake or bud you add to it is up to you - just will be stronger with more).

Make sure it's fairly dry, and grind it up as fine as you can using either a MJ grinder, or a coffee grinder, etc. (You could use ground up bud as well I'm sure - but I usually have plenty of shake around.)

I use a double-boiler to heat up the oil just under the point of simmering. Think medium to low/medium heat. ***I strongly advise the double boiler as it will keep you from overheating/burning the oil***

Keep an eye on it and stir occasionally. I do this for about an hour, but it probably doesn't need to be that long.

Once I've heated for an hour or so I strain it through a "metal/gold" coffee filter. It should be a nice brownish/greenish color. You'll find that some of the oil is kinda absorbed into the shake, hence starting with a little more oil than necessary. I do try to squeeze out as much oil as I can. I'm stingy so I usually save leftover oil for future projects, etc.

After that it's as simple as adding it to the brownie recipe as called for - the only other thing I do different is cook at a slightly lower temperature for a longer period of time (instead of the 325 called for on the Ghirardeli I do 300 for a longer period of time.

Hope this helps - I've used this method a few times now, and it works great. You have to experience it - it's a total creeper high that lasts for hours once it hits.

Lastly - some people put the ground up shake right into the recipe with the oil. I'm sure it works - but I can tell you the brownies work good without doing that, and I'm sure they taste better. The method I use here works great and tastes great too.

Happy BAKING!
 
Just wanted to throw out a little update. I just used the recipe again the other day, however, I heated the sugar-leaf, "shake" material about 8 minutes at 170 in the oven first. Then ground them into a powder. It made a big difference in the end as the brownies were stronger than normal. I think they call it decarboxylation. Suppose to make more cannabinoids available for consumption if I remember correctly. Definitely made them stronger. :yummy:

Here's the updated instructions/recipe - I added a couple of other details as well:

If the recipe calls for a 1/3 cup of oil - I start with a 1/2 cup. I then mix in enough "shake" to make it thicken up a bit (the amount of shake or bud you add to it is up to you - just will be stronger with more).

Make sure it's fairly dry, and grind it up as fine as you can using either a MJ grinder, or a coffee grinder, etc. I've had the best luck by preheating the buds/shake on a cookie sheet in the oven at about 170f for about 10 minutes first. This actually makes more of the good stuff available in your brownies through a process called decarboxylation. It also makes it easier to grind your greens into a good powder.

I use a double-boiler to heat up the oil just under the point of simmering. Think medium to low/medium heat. ***I strongly advise the double boiler as it will keep you from overheating/burning the oil - which could make it less effective***

Keep an eye on it and stir occasionally. I do this for about an hour, but it probably doesn't need to be that long (15-20 minutes is probably fine).

Once I've heated for an hour or so I strain it through a "metal/gold" coffee filter. It should be a nice brownish/greenish color. You'll find that some of the oil is kinda absorbed into the shake, hence starting with a little more oil than necessary. I do try to squeeze out as much oil as I can. I'm stingy so I usually save leftover oil for future projects, etc.

After that it's as simple as adding it to the brownie recipe as called for - I use Ghirardelli brownie mix, because it calls for 1/3 cup of oil (vs. 1/4) and has a relatively low baking temp (325f). It might not matter, but I like to stay at or below 325f.

Hope this helps - I've used this method a few times now, and it works great. You have to experience it - it's a total creeper high that lasts for hours once it hits.

Lastly - some people put the ground up shake right into the recipe with the oil. I'm sure it works - but I can tell you the brownies work good without doing that, and I'm sure they taste better. The method I use here works great and tastes great too.

Happy BAKING!
 
xlr8 said:
Just wanted to throw out a little update. I just used the recipe again the other day, however, I heated the sugar-leaf, "shake" material about 8 minutes at 170 in the oven first. Then ground them into a powder. It made a big difference in the end as the brownies were stronger than normal. I think they call it decarboxylation. Suppose to make more cannabinoids available for consumption if I remember correctly. Definitely made them stronger. :yummy:

Here's the updated instructions/recipe - I added a couple of other details as well:

If the recipe calls for a 1/3 cup of oil - I start with a 1/2 cup. I then mix in enough "shake" to make it thicken up a bit (the amount of shake or bud you add to it is up to you - just will be stronger with more).

Make sure it's fairly dry, and grind it up as fine as you can using either a MJ grinder, or a coffee grinder, etc. I've had the best luck by preheating the buds/shake on a cookie sheet in the oven at about 170f for about 10 minutes first. This actually makes more of the good stuff available in your brownies through a process called decarboxylation. It also makes it easier to grind your greens into a good powder.

I use a double-boiler to heat up the oil just under the point of simmering. Think medium to low/medium heat. ***I strongly advise the double boiler as it will keep you from overheating/burning the oil - which could make it less effective***

Keep an eye on it and stir occasionally. I do this for about an hour, but it probably doesn't need to be that long (15-20 minutes is probably fine).

Once I've heated for an hour or so I strain it through a "metal/gold" coffee filter. It should be a nice brownish/greenish color. You'll find that some of the oil is kinda absorbed into the shake, hence starting with a little more oil than necessary. I do try to squeeze out as much oil as I can. I'm stingy so I usually save leftover oil for future projects, etc.

After that it's as simple as adding it to the brownie recipe as called for - I use Ghirardelli brownie mix, because it calls for 1/3 cup of oil (vs. 1/4) and has a relatively low baking temp (325f). It might not matter, but I like to stay at or below 325f.

Hope this helps - I've used this method a few times now, and it works great. You have to experience it - it's a total creeper high that lasts for hours once it hits.

Lastly - some people put the ground up shake right into the recipe with the oil. I'm sure it works - but I can tell you the brownies work good without doing that, and I'm sure they taste better. The method I use here works great and tastes great too.

Happy BAKING!
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Very nice, I am going to try this A.S.A.P. + rep if I can
 
peace man said:
Really cool way of cooking with bud, I have to try that. On my next harvest thank you for the input.
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sonzor said:
Very nice, I am going to try this A.S.A.P. + rep if I can
Click to expand...

Thanks guys! Also, thank you very much for the +rep, Sonzor. Let me know your feedback if you get a chance to try this sometime.
:peacetwo:
 
dirtinmyears said:
Awesome! Thanks for sharing that my man :thumb:
Click to expand...

Thanks Dime! Let me know if you try it sometime and how it turned out. I'm thinking of making another batch soon.

I'm also wanting to find a way to use my "Blueberry" trim for some Blueberry muffins. I haven't looked hard yet, but I think my challenge will be finding a recipe that doesn't need 400f plus temps. :)
 
Xlr8 said:
Thanks Dime! Let me know if you try it sometime and how it turned out. I'm thinking of making another batch soon.

I'm also wanting to find a way to use my "Blueberry" trim for some Blueberry muffins. I haven't looked hard yet, but I think my challenge will be finding a recipe that doesn't need 400f plus temps. :)
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You know... you could always just put a nice little dab of cannabutter on after you bake them :yummy:
 
dirtinmyears said:
You know... you could always just put a nice little dab of cannabutter on after you bake them :yummy:
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Now THAT is a stellar idea. I hadn't even thought of that! Love it, and I'm thinking that may just be a great way to do it. Besides, I've done the oil thing a bunch of times now, and I've been thinking about how much I want to do the cannabutter as it's so much more flexible. +rep if I can for that, Dime.

Edit: must have repped you sometime recently as it's not letting me, but I'll catch you again when I can. Thanks!
 
No problem! Thanks for that :high-five:

What made me think of it is that I've been trying to recreate those addicting biscuits at Red Lobster for ever and thats a step I use :rofl:

I have found a way (without the meds in it;)) that's a favorite of my family and friends... you can make them from scratch if you like but you can get a bag of frozen biscuits too. I melt a stick of butter and add fresh minced organic garlic, basil and a pinch of salt... mix it up and brush it liberally on the tops during the last ~5min of baking. Man is it tasty :yummy:
 
dirtinmyears said:
No problem! Thanks for that :high-five:

What made me think of it is that I've been trying to recreate those addicting biscuits at Red Lobster for ever and thats a step I use :rofl:

I have found a way (without the meds in it;)) that's a favorite of my family and friends... you can make them from scratch if you like but you can get a bag of frozen biscuits too. I melt a stick of butter and add fresh minced organic garlic, basil and a pinch of salt... mix it up and brush it liberally on the tops during the last ~5min of baking. Man is it tasty :yummy:
Click to expand...

Geez Dime you're making me hungry! Or is it the meds...? :) Those biscuits sound awesome.
 
Great sounding brownies. I tell you this site has everything from rocket scientist to 5 star chefs. With electricians, plumbers, farmers and etc. thrown in between. lol
 
Xlr8 said:
Just wanted to throw out a little update. I just used the recipe again the other day, however, I heated the sugar-leaf, "shake" material about 8 minutes at 170 in the oven first. Then ground them into a powder. It made a big difference in the end as the brownies were stronger than normal. I think they call it decarboxylation. Suppose to make more cannabinoids available for consumption if I remember correctly. Definitely made them stronger. :yummy:
Click to expand...
SNIP!

Decarboxylizing (or "decarbing") the herb turns the THCA into THC (the A drops off the molecule.) So you're right in the sense it "makes more cannabinoids available for consumption... " Lighting up a doob or a bowl does that instantaneously. I've read elsewhere that if you are cooking herb in oil, decarbing isn't necessary, but I will defer to your judgment that it made your brownies stronger! Thanks for your input! :thumb:
 
irishgawdess said:
SNIP!

Decarboxylizing (or "decarbing") the herb turns the THCA into THC (the A drops off the molecule.) So you're right in the sense it "makes more cannabinoids available for consumption... " Lighting up a doob or a bowl does that instantaneously. I've read elsewhere that if you are cooking herb in oil, decarbing isn't necessary, but I will defer to your judgment that it made your brownies stronger! Thanks for your input! :thumb:
Click to expand...

Thanks for dropping in irishgawdess - I'm certainly not very versed or experienced in decarbing, and it's possible that other factors contributed to the difference in strength (strains, quantity/quality of herb, etc.) All I know is that they were significantly stronger than other batches I made with a very similar approach and quantity of herb, so who knows!

I agree that all things being equal, it doesn't seem like the step should be necessary, but a friend advised that this will help activate the THC in case it doesn't get fully absorbed into the oil through the heating process (I believe that's how he put it). Anyway, I can't argue with him at this point - it sure seemed to help. :)

The first time I tried to make brownies based on internet info it didn't work, and later realized I followed some bad instructions (damned internet!) Once I got it figured out and had some success I wanted to share something here that I know works from firsthand experience. And I can testify that this does work well. :)

Glad you liked the info, and thanks so much for weighing in. :thumb: I wish I understood the mechanics better, but for now I'll settle for a yummy end result. :yummy:

Oh, an a huge :welcome: to the 420mag community. I think you'll really love it here - the people are really terrific and this is a great forum. Hope you stick around more, and if you've got any good info on cooking or edibles, I'd love to learn - I'm really just beginning to get into edibles, and it's my favorite way to spend a day! Take care, X
 
Each time I bake a batch, I try to improve it - the goal being to squeeze as much potency into them as I can without really using more weed to do it.

This batch I did several things slightly differently, and it made a HUGE difference. In general, I improved the "decarbing" process, I added "soy lecithin" to the recipe (helps bioavailability), I used a few different oils together (improve chance of cannabinoids becoming infused), and monitored the temperature of each process more scientifically to insure I wasn't vaporizing anything in the cooking process.

NOTE: The first part, "Decarb'ing and making the oil" can be used to make oil for any cooking recipe that requires cooking oil. Brownies work good as they mask and compliment the smell/odor of cannabis (which doesn't always complement all kinds of food). If you don't do brownies, I'd advise something that bakes/cooks at a lower temperature so that the cannabinoids aren't completely vaporized in the cooking process. If you've never cooked with cannabis, start with brownies.

Here's the updated recipe/process:


"Decarbing" and making the oil:

Make sure your herb is ground up into a fine material - the finer the better. I use sugar-leaf "shake" as my primary cooking herb. Quantity is up to you, but the more you use the stronger it'll be. I always forget to weigh/measure it when I do this, but I use enough to have one really thin layer spread the size of a cookie sheet (see next step for those details). If I had to guess - 1/4 to 1/2 z of "shake", but that's a guess.

Place finely ground material inside an oven bag (a special plastic bag that can be put in the oven to cook things - you can get in the grocery store near zip-lock bags). This oven bag with your finely ground shake/bud will be placed on a cookie sheet (or similar baking sheet) to be placed in the oven. Spread the shake/bud evenly inside the bag (but on the cookie sheet) so it's a thin even layer. Fold the open end of the oven bag under at the edge a couple of times so that you are essentially sealing the end of the bag. If possible, leave some air inside the bag when you fold the edge under.

Place the cooking sheet with the bag of ground material inside the oven, and turn the heat to 210f (don't pre-heat, just put it in and turn oven to 210f). After 20 minutes, turn off the oven, but leave the herb in the oven for another 10minutes. Next, remove it from the oven and let it cool (inside the unopened bag) fully. It's important to not open the bag while the herb is still warm/hot so that you don't lose anything potency-wise. This process actually makes more of the good stuff available in your brownies through a process called decarboxylation, or "decarb'ing".

If the recipe calls for a 1/3 cup of oil - I start with a 1/2 cup or more. I then mix in enough "shake" or ground herb to make it thicken up a bit (the amount of shake or bud you add to it is up to you - just will be stronger with more). Sometimes I add a small amount of "kief" from a kief box/screen I have.

At this point I add the dried, ground up, decarb'ed material to the oil I'm using to cook with. Sometimes I use canola vegetable oil on it's own, sometimes I combine a couple of different oils (to provide more ways for cannabinoids to attach themselves to the oil). For example, I just made a batch that had a little canola oil, coconut oil, and almond oil mixed together.

Next, I add (1) tablespoon of Soy Lecithin powder to the oil/herb mixture. I've found this more than doubled the potency of previous batches. Soy Lecithin helps increase "bioavailability". Essentially having it in there helps our body absorb the THC/cannabinoids better. This step can make a huge difference in potency of your brownies. You can buy Soy Lecithin at health food stores, or online, and it's well worth it. **You can make brownies without this step, just be aware that they will not be as strong/potent.**

I use a double-boiler to heat up the oil just under the point of simmering. Think medium to low/medium heat. ***I strongly advise the double boiler as it will keep you from overheating/burning the oil - which could make it less effective*** I cover the oil part of the double boiler with tinfoil, and poke a candy thermometer through the foil to measure the oil temperature. I try to keep the oil between 180-200f during this phase, which for me is typically one tick below "medium" on my stove top. If you don't have a candy thermometer just try to keep it in the "medium/low" range

Keep an eye on it and stir occasionally. I do this for about 1-2 hours, but it probably doesn't need to be that long (15-20 minutes is probably fine). The longer you do it, the greater chance the oil becomes fully infused with cannabis. 1-2 hours works good for me.

Once I've heated for an hour or two I strain it through a "metal/gold" coffee filter, or alternatively a cheesecloth. It should be a nice brownish/greenish color. You'll find that some of the oil is kinda absorbed into the shake, hence starting with a little more oil than necessary. I do try to squeeze out as much oil as I can. I'm stingy so I usually save leftover oil for future projects, etc.

**The above part can be used to make canna-oil for ANY cooking project that requires cooking oil.**

:MoreNutes::yummy::)

Making the Brownies:
After preparing the oil, it's as simple as adding it to the brownie recipe as called for - I typically use Ghirardelli brownie mix, because it calls for 1/3 cup of oil (vs. 1/4) and has a relatively low baking temp (325f). It might not matter, but I like to stay at or below 325f.

Hope this helps - I've used this method a few times now, and it works great. You have to experience it - it's a total creeper high that lasts for hours once it hits. Don't over-do the brownies though, my recipe has been refined a few times, and I'm here to tell you it's very effective. My suggestion is to start with a small piece and give it an hour or two before eating more. DO NOT be impatient, as these can make you uncomfortably high if you over-do it, and unlike when it's smoked, it can last for hours.

Lastly - some people put the ground up shake right into the recipe with the oil. I'm sure it works - but I can tell you the brownies work good without doing that, and I'm sure they taste better. The method I use here works great and tastes great too.

Happy BAKING!
 
Very cool, thanks for taking the time to explain all of that. I am going to give it a try for sure.
 
xbox4him said:
Nice tutorial man, im definitely gonna try this oil method. Hopefully its better than just dumping herb right into the mix hehe. That method works fine but probably is wasteful.

I know you use shakes, but how much whole herb would you put in? 3-5 g's for how much oil?
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Hey xbox ~

I've never tried it with bud, but I'm betting that would get you a 1/4 cup of oil. Maybe 1/3 cup. Just a guess, though, as I haven't tried it. Frankly, I have been really bad at that step - I usually eye it up based on previous batches - I'll just have to dig out the scale next time. I'd guess I normally use around 15g of sugar trim leaf, and a dash of kief (pollen). The soy lecithin makes a big difference. Huge.

Let me know if you have questions - and let me know if you give it a try. Thanks for the props. :thumb:
 
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