Best. Brownies. Ever.

It's been a while, dear baking world, but I'm back.  And the baking has resumed to a pretty normal rate again (thankfully...although my thighs might be thinking something differently!). 

Rarely do we finish a baked good and, as the pan is being scraped, my husband ask if we can whip up another batch.  Alas, these brownies have that exact effect.  They're pretty phenomenal.  And while I'm a pretty decent brownie fan, these brownies just might have turned me into a brownie lover.

What's different about these brownies vs. other brownies, you ask?  These brownies are super chewy, dense, and have the perfect amount of chocolate. They are not 'cakey' as other recipes can be.  Not that I dislike 'cakey' versions of brownies, mind you. But 'cakey' brownies don't make me a brownie lover...dense, chocolatey, chewy brownies do :).

What's missing from this recipe are the baking agents that make cakes cakes (know what I mean?).  Your typical baking soda and baking powder are nowhere to be found.  And the amount of flour is relatively low as well.  What makes a dense chocolately dessert are: small amounts of flour (relative to other ingredients), butter (of course!), eggs, and chocolate.  What makes a dessert moist are eggs and brown sugar. That, my friends, is exactly what this recipe is all about.  See for yourself:

Ingredients to make these bad boy brownies:
1 Cup/113g of Butter (unsalted), melted
1 1/2 cups of caster sugar
1 1/2 cups of light brown sugar
1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract (always use the real stuff)
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups of flour
1 cup of cocoa powder (use a nice one like Green & Blacks)
1 tsp salt
1 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips (again, good chocolate here folks...go Belgian or some other fancy one like green and blacks to make a mean brownie)
optional: 1 cup of walnuts, chopped, and toasted (secret: place nuts in a plastic bag and use a rolling pin to 'smack' the nuts until they're 'chopped' - works a treat; then place under broiler/grill for 1-2 minutes until toasty). 

 

How to make 'em:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish.
• Combine the melted butter, sugars, and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each, until thoroughly blended.
• Sift the flour, cocoa powder, and salt in a bowl. Gradually stir flour mixture into the egg mixture until blended. Stir in the chocolate morsels and nuts if using. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish.
• Bake in preheated oven until an inserted toothpick comes out clean, about 45 minutes (check around 40 minutes). Remove, and cool pan on wire rack before cutting.

What could be better with dense, chocolatey, chewy brownies than homemade vanilla ice cream, I ask you?  See my next post for the ice cream (you won't be disappointed).