Brownies

Hello lovely.

I have a lot of brownie recipes. Probably one of the most requested items when I baked at various restaurants and at my pop up bake shop. I’ve had fine dining restaurants request them, dress them up, sauce them, served warm with a scoop of ice cream. Brownies are an awesome ice cream mix in if you are so inclined, or to serve as a base for baked Alaska. They never fail to impress no matter what.

This recipe is one of my favorites. It yields a very chocolaty, fudge-y brownie with a crackled top; the secret there is mixing in chocolate chips to the warm batter. Also you must use a dutch processed cocoa powder. The acidity of a natural cocoa powder will react as the brownie bakes yielding a more cake like texture. While still enjoyable, I find the nuance of the fudge texture not the same. Also, no matter what recipe you use it in, you must sift cocoa powder or the lumps will never come out. I know it’s annoying but so are tiny bits of bitter cocoa balls in your finished product…ounce of prevention and all that.

Brownies:

Yield: 18-24 pieces (13”x9” pan)

Ingredients:

2 sticks/226 grams unsalted butter

1 cup/200 grams granulated sugar

1 cup/200 grams dark brown sugar

1 cup/170 grams semi-sweet chocolate chips

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup/90 grams dutched process cocoa powder

3/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons/145 g unbleached all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Prepare a 13”x9” baking pan. Grease the pan then cut a piece of parchment to fit crosswise along the 13” sides of the pan so you can lift the whole thing out to slice neatly on a cutting board like a civilized person (foil or wax paper will also work, but parchment is so much nicer and worth buying if you bake frequently).

Melt the butter in a medium sized heavy bottom saucepan over medium to medium low heat, don’t let the butter spatter. Meanwhile, measure both sugars into a large mixing bowl. Once the butter is melted, remove from heat and pour over the sugars carefully so you don’t splash scalding hot butter onto yourself. Whisk to combine until mostly smooth, the butter will separate, that’s okay for now. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top and set aside.

In another mixing bowl, whisk the eggs with the salt and vanilla extract. Sift the cocoa powder over the eggs and whisk together. Pour the sugar/butter mixture over the cocoa mixture and whisk until smooth.

Sift the flour and baking powder over the bowl and fold in with the whisk, shifting to a spatula to incorporate the sides. Mix only until the flour disappears, no more than that.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth out to even.

Bake for 30-34 minutes, this may change depending on the material of your pan. Glass baking pans will take an additional 3-4 minutes. Look for the center of the brownie to be set but still soft and slightly souffléd. A cake tester will not work here so you have to judge. Also, if your oven bakes hot, check the brownies around the 25 minute marker for doneness.

Let cool completely, then use the parchment “handles” to lift the entire brownie onto a cutting board. Divide up as you see necessary. Yes, the entire thing can count as one brownie.