These brownies are rich, dense, and fudgy with a slight crunch from the top and edges, but the inside is soft, dark, and baked-until-just-barely set.
Cakey or Fudgy?
When it comes to brownies, are you team “cakey” or team “fudgy”? If you’re a fan of cakey brownies, go on to another recipe. But if you like your brownies rich, dense, fudgy, then this recipe is for you! I love the combination of textures of this brownie – there’s a slight crunch from the top and edges but the inside is soft, dark, baked-until-just-barely set.
This recipe was adapted from the book Baking with Julia, titled “Best-Ever Brownies”. I was very curious to see the outcome. The texture and flavor were great, but it was a bit too sweet for my taste. My version below yields brownies that are less sweet and have a deeper chocolate taste. The mixing method used is quite unconventional for a brownie wherein half of the egg mixture is whipped until it thickens and doubles in volume before adding into the chocolate batter. This extra step has enhanced and lightened the brownie’s texture.
Mix-ins for Ice Cream
These fudgy brownies never freeze solid, so this is also great to use as a mix-in for ice cream!
How to store these fudgy brownies
The brownies will keep for 2 to 3 days at room temperature. Cover or wrap them tightly with plastic film. They can be frozen up to a month and thaw at room temperature.
Simply Fudgy Brownies
Ingredients
- 156 grams all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 227 grams unsalted butter
- 170 grams dark chocolate (62%-70% cocoa solids)
- 200 grams granulated white sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs (about 200 grams)
Instructions
- Grease and line a 9-inch square pan. Heat oven to 350F (175 C).
- In a small bowl, sift the flour and salt together. Set aside.
- Melt Chocolate and butter in a double boiler (Place a metal mixing bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the mixing bowl doesn't touch the surface of the water. ) Once melted, add half of the sugar to the chocolate mixture then stir for another 30 seconds. Remove the pan from heat and add the vanilla. Transfer the chocolate mixture to a larger bowl then set aside.
- In a small bowl, pour the remaining half of sugar and the eggs. Using a whisk, mix them by hand until just combined. Pour half of this egg mixture into the chocolate mixture, stirring gently but constantly with a rubber spatula so that the eggs doesn't set from the heat.
- Pour the remaining half of the egg mixture into a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment (or into a mixing bowl if you're using a hand-held mixer). Whip them up until they are thick, pale, and have doubled in volume, about 3 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the whipped eggs into the chocolate mixture. When the whipped eggs are almost completely incorporated, gently fold in the flour mixture until just combined. It is easy to overmix the batter at this point so remember to stop once the flour has been combined.
- Pour the batter into the baking pan and bake for 26-30 minutes. They will rise a little and the top will turn dark and dry.
- Let it cool for about 15 minutes on a cooling rack before removing the brownie from the pan. Cut into squares.
Pure. perfection. There’s nothing better than a classic, well made brownie. Definitely trying this recipe soon!