Perfect Fudge Brownies
I am happy to report that here in Rome the temperatures have finally dropped a bit (!!!) meaning 1.) I don't have to take 3-4 cold showers a day 2.) I do not have to sleep directly in front of the fan and 3.) I can, most importantly of all, actually turn on my oven again. Needless to say my "Desserts to try" list was quite long by the time I could start baking again, and though I thought I'd want something more extravagant -- chocolate pecan pie? blueberry cinnamon rolls? -- I realized that all I really wanted was a pan of simple, classic, all-American brownies.
I've realized I'm a bit like Goldilocks when it comes to brownies. Some recipes I've tried don't pack enough of a chocolate punch; some are too dry; some are too sweet; and still others are more cake-y rather than fudge-y. After a bit of recipe research (brownies made with chocolate? brownies made with cocoa powder? brownies made with brown sugar or without?) I opted for this one. I liked that it used both chocolate as well as cocoa powder, a good amount of butter, and not a lot of flour, which would ensure a fudge-y brownie.
To say that this recipe exceeded my expectations is an understatement -- these were a pure hit of chocolate, fudge-y and rich and dark, everything you would ever possibly want in a brownie and more. They are a million times better than your boxed brownie mix (you won't be able to go back to that after trying these) and really only require a bit of extra effort that is well worth it. These are my new standard, "go to" brownie recipe, and I can guarantee that they'll make you the most popular person in the office if you bring them to work (especially if you do so on a Monday morning).
A couple of notes: These would also be great served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (brownie sundae!) with a dollop of whipped cream and some raspberries or strawberries. If you're still sitting here reading this post, you shouldn't be -- go make these right away!
Looking for more recipes for brownies and bars? Click here.
PERFECT FUDGE BROWNIES
Recipe from www.sallysbakingaddiction.com. Makes about 16 brownies.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup (8 tablespoons or 112 grams) butter
8 ounces (224 grams) coarsely chopped good quality semisweet chocolate
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (50 grams) packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (150 grams) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons (15 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon (2 grams) salt
1 cup (170 grams) milk or semisweet chocolate chips
Directions:
Melt the butter and chopped chocolate in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture is smooth. Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the butter chocolate mixture into a large mixing bowl. Let it cool to room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom and sides of a 9x9 inch square baking pan with aluminum foil or parchment, leaving an overhang on all sides. You could also butter the pan instead, but make sure you are very thorough as these have the tendency to stick to the pan a bit.
Next, whisk together the sugars, eggs, and vanilla in a medium bowl and then whisk into the chocolate and butter mixture. Gently fold in the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Once everything is well mixed, stir in the chocolate chips.
Pour the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached. Allow the brownies to cool completely in the pan. Once cooled, lift the foil/parchment paper out of the pan using the overhang on the sides. Cut the brownies in to squares.
