By Brett Konen
Welcome to Leafly’s Pot Brownie Bracketology, where March Madness meets reefer madness and we search low and high to discover the absolute best cannabis brownie recipe ever.
The contenders: Our Editor’s Mom’s Brownies (by Mrs. Barbara Martin) vs. Best-Ever Brownies (by Julia Child)
The story: Having already taken down one big-name baking celeb in round one (sorry, Martha Stewart), the momentum of Mrs. Barbara Martin’s brownies may be hard to stop in round two. The raspberry-studded sensations earned a higher total score than any other contestant in the competition thus far. On the other hand, the brownies that Mrs. Martin’s beat out were cakey, pecan-filled and frosted, and the ones they’ll face in round two are the polar opposite: classic, fudgy, and sans icing. Can Julia Child’s pure chocolate squares take down the cool, colorful dessert favored to win this round? Let’s find out.
Brownie A – Sam’s Mom’s Brownies
Get the full recipe here.
Creator: Mrs. Barbara Martin of Brisbane, Qld., Australia
Original recipe contains cannabis? No
First round strengths: Aroma and potency; this recipe scored two rare perfect fives in these categories during round one.
First round weaknesses: Very few.
Most Valuable Ingredient: Dutch process cocoa powder. It’s harder to track down than the standard natural cocoa powder, but the Dutch stuff imparts a darker color and softer, earthier chocolate flavor.
Judges’ notes:
“Lots of mush, but great effects and it worked as a painkiller fairly well.” –Naomi Fowler, senior marketing CRM manager
“I could smell this thing through my purse. Texture was almost fudge-like.” –Sharee Church, sales support specialist
“Needed more of a ‘brownie’ texture – otherwise #perf.” –Kelly Bennett, mobile application developer
Brownie B – Best-Ever Brownies
Get the full recipe here.
Creator: Julia Child
Original recipe contains cannabis? No
First round strengths: Consistent scores across all five categories.
First round weaknesses: Few distinguishing characteristics.
Most Valuable Ingredient: Extra chopped chocolate. Mrs. Childs’ and Mrs. Martin’s recipes are in fact quite similar, but Julia brings in about six ounces of real chopped chocolate to Barbara’s four.
Judges’ notes:
“Takes an hour for full effect, lasts 3+ hours.” –Adrian Godong, developer
“A bit squishy for my taste.” –Lisa Rough, associate editor
“It’s mild enough as far as strength, but the effects are long-lasting. This is perfect for someone who’s looking for a long but mellow high.” –Darren Harris, data entry specialist
Scores (Average of Two Judges)
Our Editor’s Mom
Julia Child
Appearance
3.5
4
Aroma
3.5
3.5
Texture
4
3.5
Flavor
3.5
3.5
Potency/Effects
4.5
4
Total
19
18.5
Winner: Sam’s mom!
Will Sam’s mom’s raspberry brownies be able to defeat The Cannabist’s triple chocolate ones? Find out on our Pot Brownie Bracketology home page in the championship post on Monday!
Disclaimer: Cannabis edibles should always be prepared and consumed with care. Know your tolerance, start slow, and never drive under the influence of cannabis.
To continue reading this story, visit our friend’s website (opens in a new window):: Pot Brownie Bracketology Semifinal 2: Our Editor’s Mom vs. Julia Child