Brownies

Brownies

I’m not really sure how this is going to work, so will probably be going through a few iterations on format/content. This is modified from one of my cookbooks. Without further ado:

Yield: 2 dozen 2-inch brownies

Oven Temp: 350 deg. F

Baking time: 28-32 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1c. (2 sticks, 8 oz) unsalted butter
  • 2 1⁄4 c. (15 3⁄4 oz) sugar
  • 1 1⁄4 c. (3 3⁄4 oz) Dutch process cocoa (ghirardelli/sharfenburger taste excellent)
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp. espresso powder (optional)
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 1⁄2 c. (6 1⁄4 oz) unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 c. + 1 c. (12 oz) good quality chocolate chips (one cup should be dark or bakers chocolate, the other cup can be white or dark)

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9x13” pan
  2. In a medium size saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter.
    • Low heat is important here, you don’t want to overheat the butter or you will get a very gooey result that wont setup. Not that that’s a bad thing, just not really what most people consider brownies. You can also use a microwave, just be sure to not overheat the butter.
  3. Once melted, remove from heat and add the sugar. Stir to combine.
  4. Return the butter/sugar mixture to heat briefly, until it’s hot but not bubbling. If you have an instant read thermometer, you want it to reach between 110 and 120 F. Once heated, transfer to a heat-safe mixing bowl.
    • Heating this a second time dissovles more of the sguar, which results in a shinier top crust.
  5. Stir in the cocoa, salt, baking powder, espresso powder, and vanilla. Blend until fully mixed. Mix in 1c. of dark/bakers chocolate chips.
    • Mixing in the chocolate chips here will cause them to melt from the residual heat. You don’t have to do this, but I like it.
  6. Mix in eggs one at a time, stirring until smooth.
  7. Mix in flour, careful to not overmix.
  8. Add remaining chocolate chips, mixing until they are just evenly spready through the batter.
  9. Bake the brownies in the preheated oven for 28-32 minutes.
    • A cake tester/toothpick should come out clean when inserted into the center, and the brownies should feel set on the edges and in the center.
  10. Remove them from the oven and let them cool on a rack before cutting and serving.