Brownies

I'll be honest.  I grew up on brownie mixes, not scratch brownies, and for years that's what I used too.  But as I got more and more into slow food and making my own stuff (especially dessert), I experimented with brownies too.  And now I'm a snob and I can't go back.  A creamy, gooey center with a crunchy top - a brownie mix doesn't come close.  Depending on which brand of unsweetened chocolate you chose, these brownies may be more expensive than a mix, but not too much, and they're relatively simple to make.

This recipe comes from my favorite cookbook: Alice Medrich's “Bittersweet”.  If you have any interest in stories about chocolate, or masterful (but not too complicated) chocolate recipes, I highly recommend at least checking it out from the library!

A note on chocolate choice:  you can use any unsweetened chocolate in this recipe, but keep in mind that what you choose will affect the flavor of your brownies.  Over years of experimentation, I've discovered that the end result I like best uses 2 oz of Bakers Unsweetened, and 2 oz of Ghirardelli 100%.  If you want to, you can play around with brands and find your favorite as well.

Fudge Brownies

Ingredients:

4 oz unsweetened chocolate

8 T (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 1/4 c sugar

1 t pure vanilla extract

1/4 t salt

2 large eggs

1/2 c all purpose flour

8-inch square pan

Directions:

Assemble your ingredients.

Preheat the oven to 350°.  Line the pan with aluminum foil.  One the most useful tricks I learned in baking school involved lining a pan.  It can be so difficult to get foil to conform to the inside of a baking pan!  So start by turning your pan upside down.

Mold the foil around the bottom of the pan.

Then remove the foil, flip your pan over, and insert the molded foil into the pan.  So much easier!

Melt the butter and chocolate together in a medium-sized heavy saucepan or in the microwave, taking care not to let the butter get too hot.  (If it gets too hot, the batter won't come together very well, and while the brownies will still turn out OK, they won't be as great.)  Stir frequently with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until everything is melted.

Remove the pan from the stove, and add the sugar, vanilla and salt.  

Add the eggs one at a time, stirring until the first one is incorporated before adding the next.  

Your batter will look sort-of mottled and grainy at this point.

Stir in the flour and beat with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until the batter is smooth, glossy, and beginning to come away from the sides of the bowl (1-2 minutes).  (You should see a noticeable difference in batter texture!)

Scrape the batter into the lined pan and smooth to even it. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.  Cool on a rack.  Remove the brownies from the pan by lifting the foil out.  

Refrigerate at least one hour for ease of cutting.  Note:  refrigerating the brownies is necessary to produce neatly cut brownies.  If you don't care about neatness , you can serve them warm right out of the pan!

When ready to serve, flip the brownies over onto a cutting board and peel off the foil.  Cut into squares.  (I always cut very small - about 1 inch - squares because these brownies are so rich!)

Leftover brownies can be stored in the fridge or freezer indefinitely.

The recipe can also be easily doubled to make a 9”x13” pan, if you need more brownies.  Adjust the baking time to approximately 35 minutes.  Also, because of the greater weight, lengthen the cooling time before you lift the foil from the pan.

Variations:

These brownies are also great as a base for a cheesecake, with a mocha cream cheese swirl added,  dried fruit and nuts added, or anything else your imagination can come up with.  

Written By: Barbara