Chocolate Brownies

A few weeks ago I wanted to bake something different. Something without cake mix. Something a little out of my comfort zone. I was thinking of cupcakes but hadn't really found a recipe that excited me ... and then I stumbled on these brownies.

These were really, really good and totally hit the spot. Were they as fudgy as my pregnant brain wanted them to be? No. They are definitely very cake-y, the kind of brownies that you want to eat with a tall glass of milk nearby. Were they all chocolate sweetness? No. But they were good, and it was nice to make something that required more than just a box, two eggs and a half a cup of oil.

Meghan and I had a college professor who is known for her Turtle Brownies. When I spotted this recipe, I thought for sure I'd found something comparable to the yummyness that is the infamous Turtle Brownie. The college professor was not convinced, and rightly so. These are good, but they are no where close to the Turtle Brownie, which I've decided we will now need to make and share with you in a future post.

Chocolate Brownies:

4 ounces (120 grams) unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs

3/4 cup (95 grams) all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

Chocolate Ganache:

3 ounces (90 grams) semi sweet chocolate, chopped

1/3 cup (80 ml) heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon (14 grams) unsalted butter

Chocolate Brownies: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Butter, or spray with a non stick vegetable spray, an 8 inch (20 cm) square baking pan.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a large stainless steel bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar. Next, whisk in the vanilla extract and eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Finally, stir in the flour and salt.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.


Chocolate Ganache: Place the chopped chocolate in a medium sized stainless steel bowl. Heat the cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil. Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir with a whisk or spoon until smooth. Let cool to room temperature and then spread the ganache over the brownies. I like to store these brownies in the refrigerator. They can also be frozen.

Makes 16 brownies.

Source: Joy of Baking