Reliable Brownies
No short-cuts here. Fudgey, dense brownies topped with the ephemeral crackly crust, achieved by using melted high-quality chocolate and by mixing adequate air into the eggs. These are not a "one bowl" affair, but rather a "one pot, one mixer bowl" endeavor that is worthy of the extra dish to clean. Add in any flour you'd like - here I use a combination of AP and buckwheat. Add in toasted nuts, or top with pistachios and sea salt. Extra chocolate stirred-in is too rich for me - but go for it if that's your vibe for the day. If you're in the need of a more fancy situation, bake this recipe in a 9" or 10" round pan, and serve with lightly whipped cream - optionally mixed with a bit of sour cream or creme fraiche.
Ingredients
- 6 TB (85g) unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups (230g) 60-70% dark chocolate, chopped highest quality you can muster!
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup (50g) all purpose flour any flour can work here - I use 25g AP and 25g buckwheat
- 2 TB (15g) cocoa powder alkalized or natural
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (325F convection), with a rack in middle position. Line an 8x8" metal pan with parchment or aluminum foil.
- In a medium heavy-bottom sauce pan (or a microwave safe bowl), gently melt chocolate and butter until just melted. Take care to not scorch. Set aside.
- In a bowl of a mixer, add eggs, sugar and sea salt. Using paddle attachment, whip on medium-high. You should have a very fluffy, light yellow egg foam.
- Shut off mixer, and scrape in melted chocolate/butter mixture. Mix briefly until just combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer.
- Sift in the flour(s) and cocoa. Do not skip sifting. Mix thoroughly but swiftly with a large metal spatula, taking care to get all the flour combined.
- Scrape into prepared pan. Bang the pan on the counter to get rid of any air bubbles.
- Bake for 22-28 minutes. The brownies are done when the top has a matte crust, and are just firm to the touch and puffed slightly around the edges. A tested will not come out clean if inserted into the middle, so you must rely on your other senses.
- Allow brownies to cool to the touch before removing with the parchment or aluminum foil acting as a sling. Cool completely before cutting.
- Brownies will last in a container for about a week, and about 1 month frozen.