I’ve been searching for a brownie recipe that retains the chewiness that brownies made from a mix retain. I got a recommendation to check out Cook’s Illustrated Chewy Brownies, which is supposed to have the chewy texture of mix brownies.
I put it off for a long time, but I finally got around to making it. There were quite a few extra steps compared to other brownie recipes I’ve made. I baked the brownies in my Brownie Edge Pan*
which I am completely in love with. Brownies no longer taste as good when they aren’t in the brownie edge pan.
So was it worth it? I’ve had success with Cook’s Illustrated recipes in the past, but this was not one of them. Perhaps I did something wrong, but my brownies did not have the chewy texture found in brownie mix brownies at all. They were kind of chewy but in a rubbery chewy way. They weren’t as fudgy as brownies usually are either.
So my search continues. You can view the full recipe here.
Update: Since writing this post I’ve made many more brownie recipes and one of my favorites is my Best Fudgy Brownies.
*Some of the links contained in this post are affiliate links. Much like referral codes, this means I earn a small commission if you purchase a product I referred (at no extra charge to you).
The recipe didn’t work for me either. I thought all that chocolate would have made it chocolatey but it was on the bland side and the texture was all wrong. I even tried underbaking, which helped the texture a bit but the taste was still off. I haven’t had much success with any of CI’s brownie or cookies recipes. I thought it was me but I’ve talked to a couple of friends and my mother-in-law and they all said the same thing.
I’m so glad you told me Carol! I was worried I did something wrong. I was surprised at how bland it was too with the use of so much chocolate. And the texture was just weird. I read a lot of good reviews, so I was so confused about what I did wrong. CI recipes continue to be hit and miss for me. Oh well. Back to Ghiradelli brownie mix.
Hi Kirbie,
Have you tried Fine Cooking’s Chewy Brownies? They may be closer to what you’re looking for, and they’re great. (My favorite brownies right now are from the Baked Bakery cookbook – they’re more on the fudgy side, but are not real gooey fudgy. (they use too much salt for my taste, so I cut it in half – otherwise I follow the recipe exactly).
Anyway, here’s a link to the Fine Cooking ones – Make sure you don’t bake them as long as indicated! I bake them about 32 minutes in a shiny metal pan. I also decrease the sugar by about 2 Tbsp, but of course, as with everything, it’s a matter of personal taste.
https://www.finecooking.com/recipes/chewy_brownies.aspx
Thanks Meryl! I will be sure to check this out.