I finally found a brownie recipe that is PERFECT for me.
I like very rich, dense chewy brownies but have never found a recipe that's EXACTLY what I want. Til last night.........I didn't have all the ingredients for it- so I'll post it as it was written- and then again as I "tweaked" it for the ingredients I had on hand. This recipe is so awesome I think I'll use it as my new fudge cake recipe and frost it with Dark Mocha Frosting or Cream Cheese Frosting for Special Occasions- Like Christmas. This recipe is better than Chocolate Velvet Cake!!!
VERY Rich- Very dense- no one will be able to eat more than a small slice so one cake will go a LONG way!!! Okay so here goes.....
Chewy Brownies
4 oz. (8 Tbs.) unsalted butter; more for the pan
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1-1/2 cups sugar
Scant 1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
4-1/2 oz. (1 cup) flour
2 Tbs. natural cocoa (not Dutch-processed)
Tip: The recipe gives a range of baking times—use the shorter time for metal pans, the longer for Pyrex pans.
Position an oven rack on the middle rung. Heat the oven to 350°F. Butter an 8-inch square pan, line the pan bottom with parchment (or waxed paper), and then butter the parchment.
In a double boiler over simmering water, melt the butter and chocolate. Remove the pan from the heat; cool slightly. Stir in the sugar, salt, and vanilla. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, stirring each time until blended. Add the flour and cocoa; beat until incorporated and the mixture is smooth, 30 to 60 seconds. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the top is uniformly colored with no indentation and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out almost clean, with a few moist crumbs clinging to it, 35 to 45 min.
Set the pan on a rack until cool enough to handle. Run a paring knife around the inside edge of the pan and then invert the pan onto a flat surface and peel off the parchment. Flip the baked brownie back onto the rack to cool completely. Cut into squares with a sharp knife.
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Sunny's Version:
4 oz. (8 Tbs. or 1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tbsp veg oil
1-1/2 cups sugar
Scant 1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs, straight from the fridge
4-1/2 oz. (1 cup) plain all-purpose flour
*Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
*Put softened butter in deep sided bowl.
*Grease 9 inch pan(doesn't matter what shape) with wrapper from butter.
*Add cocoa powder,sugar, salt and vanilla to butter in Bowl. Beat with electric mixer til crumbly.
*Add oil. Mix for about 30 seconds.
* Add both eggs and mix for about a minute.
*Add flour a third cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.
(Batter will be thinner than regular Brownie Batter usually is.)
*Pour into pan and bake 35-45 minutes.(Metal Pans will take closer to 35 minutes- Glass pans closer to 45)Begin testing with toothpick at around 30 minutes for either.
DO NOT OVER-BAKE!
*Remove from oven. Cool. Cut into squares. Enjoy.
No joke- the hardest part of making these brownies was waiting on the butter to soften and waiting for them to cool. If you put it in the microwave to soften it quickly- don't let it melt- just put it in long enough to SOFTEN!
As soon as I cut into them, I knew this was the perfect recipe for what I wanted.
After 30 years of looking, I can say it was
definitely worth the wait.
(This photo was taken(not by me, unfortunately) at a location just a few miles from where we live.)
