Perfect Chocolate Brownies from scratch

Is there actually anyone that doesn’t like a great brownie? The key word there is “great.” There are so many brownie mixes on the market that many people have gone away from trying to make them from scratch at home. A really great brownie, usually nothing more than melted chocolate, butter, sugar, eggs and some cocoa, all cobbled together with a bit of flour, is a decadent, yet simple treat. 

The sad fact of the matter is though that those boxed brownies mixes will never be able to compare or even come close to a homemade brownie, made from quality ingredients. I don’t know about you, but when I read the list of ingredients for my brownies, I would much rather read a list like bittersweet chocolate, cocoa, butter, vanilla, salt, and flour than something that includes any words that I can’t even pronounce, let alone have a clue what they are.

A great brownie doesn’t even have to involve having a mixer. If you have a couple of bowls, a whisk, a rubber spatula and a little bit of time and care then these brownies can be yours. Too many people have been conditioned into thinking that unless you are a professional baker or have a mix from a box that basic, delicious, baked goods are too complicated for you to accomplish at home. I disagree. The most complicated thing about this recipe is melting chocolate and butter together.

The real keys to successful baking from scratch are simple and finite. Use the best quality ingredients you can get your hands on and follow the directions.

RECIPE TIPS: Always read your ingredient list and directions for a recipe through once before getting started at all. This will help you to know you have everything you need, as well as help you have a good understanding of what you need to do – before you are already in the middle of a recipe. Also, a key to making these brownies is to not overdo it – in other words, don’t use too much heat when melting the chocolate and butter, don’t beat the eggs in too much or overwork them, don’t mix the flour in excessively. Just take it easy and enjoy yourself!

This recipe yields a rich chocolaty brownie with a moist, fudge-like texture.

Perfect Chocolate Fudge Brownies
Adapted from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking

Notes on this recipe and the ingredients:
1. Use a dark cocoa powder, the best you can get. Pale, light-colored cocoa just doesn’t have enough depth.
2. It is important to make sure your eggs are room temperature.
3. Do not overbeat the eggs into the batter because it will add too much air.
3. Check your brownies often while they are baking to make sure you don’t overbake them or you will not have the fudge-like consistency.

1 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons dark cocoa powder
11 ounces quality dark chocolate (60-72%), chopped coarsely (I used Lindt 70%)
8 ounces butter (2 sticks), cut into 1 inch cubes
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
5 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the sides and bottom of a glass or light colored metal 9x13x2 pan. You can make a kind of ‘sling’ of aluminum foil or parchment paper by lining the pan in both directions with a folded piece of each and leaving the overhang out of the sides of the pan. You will need to butter the bottom and sides of that in the pan as well. You can use this later to remove the brownies in one large piece to be place on a board and cut.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and cocoa powder.

Fill a large saucepan about 1/4 – of the way with water and bring to a simmer. Place a large heat proof bowl over the simmering water (the bottom should not be touching the water) to make a large double boiler. Place the chocolate and butter in the bowl of the double boiler and stir occasionally until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and combined – you don’t want fast boiling water or the water touching because this can burn the chocolate and butter instead of melting it nicely. Once they are melting, the heat from the chocolate and butter that is already melting will help to melt the rest of the unmelted butter and chocolate in the bowl. 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. If you stirred often when the chocolate and butter was melting then your mixture should already be at room temperature. If the mixture is still too hot, let it cool before adding the eggs so that you don’t scramble and cook them into your batter.

Add three eggs to the chocolate and 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 instead of fudgy.

Sprinkle the flour mixture over the chocolate. Use a rubber spatula (not a whisk!) to fold the dry ingredients into the chocolate mixture. Fold the ingredients together until there is just some of the flour mixture visible so that you don’t overwork the batter.
Pour the mixture into the pan and smooth the top with your spatula (which will end up mixing in the remaining flour mixture at this point, which is why you don’t want to overmix before). Bake the brownies for 30 minutes (rotating 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.

Makes 24 small brownies.