For the most part, I love the taste of desserts made from scratch. The one exception has been brownies. I’ve always liked the box mix brownies, and I’ve had trouble finding a recipe for brownies that I enjoy more than box mix brownies.
I’ve tried many recipes and been disappointed. I even tried a recipe by Cook’s Illustrated that was supposed to be chewy like box mix brownies, but my attempt failed miserably.
A few months ago, I suddenly thought I should ask the source for all my chocolate recipe needs, Meryl, a reader of my blog, who I’ve mentioned in the past. She recommended I try the recipe from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking.
Things kept coming up and I didn’t get a chance to check out the recipe. First, I ran out of chocolate (I know, the horror). Then I ran out of time. The recipe continued to sit on my queue, but kept getting pushed back.
Well I finally got a chance to try the recipe. And I’m so glad I did. This is definitely the best brownie recipe I’ve come across. While the brownies aren’t chewy like box mix brownies, this was the first recipe I came across where I didn’t miss that factor.
The brownies are fudgy and rich. I can’t really explain what it is about these brownies that set them apart from other recipes I’ve tried and didn’t like. I just know I really love these and haven’t been able to stop eating them.
More Brownie Recipes
The Baked Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp dark cocoa powder
- 11 oz quality dark chocolate 60-72%, chopped coarsely
- 8 oz butter 2 sticks, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 tsp instant espresso powder
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 5 large eggs room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter the sides and bottom of a glass or light-colored metal pan 9x13x2 pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, the salt, and cocoa powder.
- Configure a large sized double boiler. Place the chocolate, the butter, and the instant espresso powder in the bowl of the double boiler and stir occasionally until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and combined. Turn off the heat, but keep the bowl over the water of the double boiler and add both sugars. Whisk the sugars until completely combined and remove the bowl from the pan. Mixture should be room temperature.
- Add three eggs to the chocolate/butter mixture and whisk until just combined. Add the remaining eggs and whisk until just combined. Add the vanilla and stir until combined. Do not over beat the batter at this stage or your brownies will be cakey.
- Sprinkle the flour/cocoa/salt mix over the chocolate. Using a spatula (DO NOT USE A WHISK) fold the dry into the wet until there is just a trace amount of the flour/cocoa mix visible.
- Pour the mixture into the pan and smooth the top with your spatula. Bake the brownies for 30 minutes (rotate the pan half-way through baking) and check to make sure the brownies are completely done by sticking a toothpick into the center of the pan. The brownies are done when the toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool the brownies completely before cutting and serving.
Notes
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
i’m an amateur baker, and i love it! i have a weird problem with boxed brownie batter though. whenever i’m done baking the brownies, they always come out too soft and gooey. but, when i insert a toothpick, it comes out perfectly clean. should i just bake it longer? thank you! love your blog, some seriously good looking stuff…
Hmm, do you let the brownies cool before cutting? Because brownies tend to be soft and gooey even when done when they first come out of the oven and then you have to wait quite a few hours to let them completely cool and set before you can cut into them. Otherwise, I would try baking them a little longer. Maybe also check with a knife instead of a toothpick. If you bake with a baker’s edge pan it also eliminates too soft pieces. Every piece is very sturdy and firm.
If you like these, I think you’d really love the Sweet & Salty brownies from their “sequel” cookbook! It’s basically the same recipe, without the instant coffee. You add a layer of salted caramel between the brownie batter, then sprinkle on a sugar/fleur de sel mixture on top once they’re baked. Heaven.
Oh that recipe is definitely on my list! I saw your tweets about it a few weekends ago, but I was home at my parent’s place and no access to my own kitchen. I was craving brownies like crazy that weekend!
Mmmm fudgey brownies are the best! Yum!