the baked brownie

December 20, 2012 in Brownies, Chocolate

These are the final word in brownies. Stop here, look no more. This is the only recipe you will ever need.

Alongside chocolate chip cookies in their ubiquity, there are enough recipes and methods for making brownies to keep you busy every day of the year. But why waste your time? I’ve got the solution to end all your searches right here.

Brownies have never been my ultimate sweet of choice. I dive into the cookies, the cupcakes, then back to the cookies again. But brownies usually sit on the back burner for me.  I think one of the issues with such baked goods that have become so familiar is that there seems to be increasingly less consideration as to how the final product actually turns out. People see a plate of brownies and exclaim in excitement at their very presence, and the brownies are halfway on their way to digestion before you realize they’re cakey, dried out, or taste more like sugar than chocolate. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve reached for a brownie on a plate and been disappointed as soon as it crosses my lips. But no more.

This brownie addresses all of the brownie complaints you didn’t know you had. They’re dense and fudgy. They have a thin crackly crust on top and are chewy at the edges. And oh, the chocolate. With nearly three-quarters of a pound, plus cocoa powder for good measure, there’s no doubting where the flavor in these rich brownies comes from. Their only sin might be being too close to fudge in nature. Ha. As if we could ever hold that against them.

The Baked Brownie

Adapted from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking

Yields 24 brownies

Note: Make these brownies entirely by hand and don’t over-mix them! Their texture is thanks to as minimal mixing as possible, so use a whisk when it’s called for and a spatula when indicated. Mix only until just combined!

1¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
11 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1½ cups granulated sugar
½ cup packed light brown sugar
5 eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350º F. Butter the sides and bottom of a 9×13-inch glass or light-colored baking pan. Line the pan with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and cocoa powder together.

Put the chocolate, butter and instant espresso powder in a large bowl and set it over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. Turn off the heat, but keep the bowl over the water. Alternatively, melt chocolate in microwave at 50% power in 30 second intervals, stirring between intervals, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. Add the sugars. Whisk until completely combined, then remove the bowl from the pan. The mixture should be room temperature.

Add 3 eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Add the remaining eggs and whisk until combined. Add the vanilla and stir until combined. Do not overbeat the batter at this stage or your brownies will be cakey.

Sprinkle the flour mixture over the chocolate mixture. Using a rubber spatula (not a whisk), fold the flour mixture into the chocolate until just a bit of the flour mixture is visible.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs sticking to it. Let the brownies cool completely, then lift them out of the pan using the parchment paper. Cut into squares and serve.

Store at room temperature in an airtight container or wrap with plastic wrap for up to 3 days.

nutrition information:
serving size: 1 brownie

calories: 230 • fat: 12.3 g • protein: 2.8 g • carb: 29.4 g • fiber: 1.0 g •
sugar: 18.2 g • sodium: 139 mg

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