Perfectly Fudgy Brownies
Brownies (the right kind, that is) are definitely in my top 5 desserts. They’re probably even the thing I bake the most, if not chocolate chip cookies. When I was working at Tasty, one of my favorite assignments was to develop the ultimate one-bowl brownie. I made the recipe on camera while my friend Claire produced it. It was super fun to make my own version of a classic recipe and the video was received well — 5 stars from over 6,000 votes, whoa! 1400 viewers also chimed in with tips on how they tweaked or improved the recipe. It’s a bizarre feeling to think so many people have made/seen something I put out there. Thanks to Claire Nolan for making it happen! :)
Okay, so. Flash to present day and I am growing tired of making that brownie and also tweaking it every time. The main things I wish I had done differently are all reflected in this recipe. This is officially my favorite brownie. Its chewy, gooey, crackly and perfectly chocolatey. I hope you like it too!
Recipe Notes: You can definitely sub the dark chocolate for semisweet, just know the brownies will be a touch sweeter (maybe that’s what you prefer!). Make sure to cool the butter and chocolate mixture before adding it to the eggs. By the way — I call for “room temp” eggs here. They trap air and build volume much faster than a cold egg. If you’re in a rush, you can pop the eggs in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes before using them. This recipe is available in grams, too! Always go that route when possible. Finally, if you have no mixer, you can certainly make these by hand. Just try to whip the eggs as much as you can, 2 to 3 minutes of elbow grease should do the trick.
perfectly fudgy brownies
1 1/2 sticks (170g) unsalted butter
3/4 cup (130g) dark or unsweetened chocolate chips
3 eggs, room temperature
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (50g) brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup (90g) all purpose flour
3 tablespoons (21g) cocoa powder
Preheat the oven to 350° F and place a rack in the upper middle section. Grease an 8x8 square baking dish and line the bottom and sides with parchment.
Melt the butter in a small pot. Place the chocolate chips in a medium sized bowl and when the butter is fully melted, pour it over the chips and set aside (don’t stir yet).
Place the room temperature eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl with a hand mixer). Using the whisk attachment, gradually bring the speed up from low to high and allow to whip for 3 minutes (set a timer). When done, it should be very thick, fluffy and visibly pale. This is called the “ribbon stage.”
Stir together the chocolate and melted butter — it should be completely smooth. Add to the mixing bowl and combine again until one color. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer.
Sift the measured flour and cocoa powder directly into the bowl. Using a spatula (by hand!), fold the dry ingredients in until no flour streaks remain. Be sure to scrape the very bottom of the bowl several times. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.
Bake the brownies in the preheated oven for 35-38 minutes, or until a knife comes out mostly clean, and the middle looks puffed and cracked. Heads up: this gooey beast is hard to over-bake. A few minutes most likely won’t make it or break it, so if in doubt, push it a few minutes longer. They’ll fall apart if they aren’t fully baked.
Cool the brownies in the pan for at least 30 minutes (preferably 1 to 2 hours) before cutting. If you want clean edges, they must be fully cooled before cutting. I typically cut this size batch into 16 squares. Enjoy!
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