Glen Wads from “Accepted”

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There are few movies that capture the essence of the college application process.

Accepted came out at the peak of my own college application process back in the early aughts – and I was definitely more of a Bartleby Gaines than a Sherman Schrader when it came to getting in to my top picks, so this movie has stuck with me ever since. 

One of the most iconic characters in the movie is Glen – who becomes the culinary artist of the group. His invention of Glen Wads were described as one of the best things Bartleby had ever tasted.

And thus, I have also always wanted to taste a Glen Wad for myself. Back in my actual highschool days, I used to take brownies and wad them up into balls and pretend they were Glen Wads – though this experience definitely didn’t match up to the incredible flavor I imagined they would be per the movie.

So when Glen Wads were requested over on TikTok, I was instantly in.

What are Glen Wads?

For me, I imagined Glen Wads were thick, fudgey brownies that had a hint of garlic and cinnamon.

Why garlic?

Well, if you’ve ever ordered a bag of bagels and had the everything bagel topping rub off with some cinnamon crunch topping, then you will know that flavor combo is actually surprisingly delightful.

This unusual combination of flavors, for whatever reason, always stuck with me as a flavor associated with Glen Wads.

Is it a hyper-specific flavor-combination inspired by an experience I alone have probably had – maybe. But in the end, this combination shockingly works in a brownie.

Also, in case you were curious – the South Harmon Institute of Technology website is still very much active.

Acceptance is still just one click away.

What’s in a Glen Wad?

Get ready to get experimental in the kitchen. We’re going to be working with some very unstable herbs.

  • cocoa powder – unsweetened is best
  • flour & sugar – to make the batter for the brownies
  • cinnamon – just enough to add an undertone of cinnamon flavor
  • demerara sugar – adds a sweet crunch throughout the brownies
  • espresso powder – to boost savory notes
  • chili powder – a pinch is more than enough to highlight sweet flavors
  • black garlic – sweet and tangy, almost like balsamic (more on this after the next pic!)
  • eggs – extra eggs are needed to make the brownies fudge-like
  • melted butter – for a thick and fudgey batter
  • vanilla – for added flavor
  • chocolate chips – to make the brownies extra chocolatey

Black Garlic in a Brownie?!!

Yep, you read that ingredient correctly. Black garlic is not like your standard head of garlic. These cloves have been slowly roasted until they are blacked from caramelization all the way through. The cloves are almost jelly-like or paste-like when removed from the skin.

Have you ever roasted garlic in the oven and noticed it has a slightly sweet flavor? This sweet flavor is dialed up to ten in black garlic. The cloves are very delicate which means the garlic will melt into the batter rather than hang out in chunks – spreading the tangy, sweet notes of garlic throughout the brownie.

This is definitely one of those recipes where I say, “dont knock it before you try it” because if you didn’t know black garlic was the secret ingredient, you would just think the brownies were extra savory.

I made my husband eat one without telling him what was in it and he immediately said “This is really good, I like that it’s less sweet – what’s in it?” and when I told him, he was shocked.

And never forget:

“ASK ME ABOUT MY WEINER!”

Glen Wads from “Accepted”

The Starving Chef
Welcome to South Harmon Institute of Techonology – would you like to try a Glen Wad? Inspired by the 2006 movie Accepted, these Glen Wads are brownies made with black garlic and cinnamon. KA-BLAM!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Cooling Time 8 hours
Total Time 9 hours 10 minutes
Course Copycat Recipes, Fictional Feasts
Cuisine Movies
Servings 12 wads

Ingredients
  

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×9 baking dish and set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients until well combined. Then add the wet ingredients and use a hand mixer to mix everything together until a thick batter has formed. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as you mix to break up any pockets of flour. Once all the dry ingredients are mixed in, stop mixing.
  • Pour the brownie batter into the greased baking dish and spread with a spatula to the edges of the pan. Transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out clean.
  • Cool the brownies overnight – do not refrigerate. The brownies will get fudgier the longer they rest.
  • Cut the brownies into equal pieces. The brownies can be served right away or you can use your hands to wad the brownies into balls to make them into true Glen Wads. Enjoy!
Keyword brownies, chocolate, dessert
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!