Ultra rich, fudgy, perfectly chocolatey brownies, with that classic shiny crackly top.
Nothing beats a perfect homemade brownie... but it took me a long time of testing, comparing and tweaking my recipe over and over, until I finally come up with a perfect recipe.
Tons of testing and re-testing my recipe to come up with my version of the best ever brownies, that were deliciously fudgy instead of cakey, tender in the center with a crisp edge, and simple to make. It's a tough job, brownie tasting, but someone's gotta do it ;) and let me tell you, this is the best part of my job!
The best part is, these brownies can be made by using any kind of chocolate you like! Milk chocolate, bittersweet, semisweet, dark chocolate... which is your fave?!
Now here is my secret... Instead of using plain melted butter, I keep it on the stove top a little longer and brown the butter to add another dimension of flavor to your brownies. Browned butter is what gives the brownies an incredible rich, toffee-like flavor that really takes it up a notch!
For the chocolate in the recipe, I like semi-sweet chocolate the best, but you can use bittersweet or dark chocolate in place of the semi-sweet chocolate for a less sweet version to suit your desired taste. I like to use a combination of cocoa powder and melted chocolate to really bring out the depth of the chocolate flavor.
Buttery richness, chocolate fudgy centers, subtle sweet vanilla flavor, all wrapped up in a dense little chocolate brownie square, with those crisp edges and candy tissue tops.
Chocolate Fudge Brownies
Yield: 16 brownies (For a smaller batch, cut recipe in half and bake in an 8x4 inch loaf pan. For a larger batch, double recipe and bake in a 9x13 inch pan)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (1 stick/4oz.) butter, melted (browned for maximum flavor)
- 1 cup (200g) granulated white sugar
- 6oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (1 cup chocolate chips)
- 2 tablespoons (10g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup (90g) flour, weighed or spooned and leveled
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4-1 cup mix-ins (chocolate chips, chopped nuts, M&Ms, chopped candy bar, etc.)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8 inch square pan with foil or parchment paper and spray with non-stick spray.
Reduce heat to low and add the sugar, chocolate, and cocoa, stirring with a wooden spoon until smooth. Remove from heat and stir for about a minute to cool mixture. Mix in the vanilla extract and eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir vigorously for about 1-2 minutes until batter becomes thick, smooth and shiny, to get that tissue thin layer on top. Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt, until just incorporated, followed by mix-ins, if desired. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake for about 35-45 minutes. An inserted toothpick will come out with moist crumbs sticking to it. Do not over bake. Cool brownies completely in the pan on a cooling rack before cutting. Once completely cool, slice and serve.
