perfect fudge brownies

glossy, fudgy, chocolatey perfection

Tips

Whats the perfect brownie?

Let’s talk perfect brownies: fudgy, glossy, and utterly decadent. Ghirardelli gets it right. The perfect texture and deep, rich chocolate flavor is something i still look for in a brownie today. Guess what? Making incredible brownies from scratch is way easier than you think! You’ll be blown away by how a few key ingredients can create a brownie so good, it’ll have everyone convinced you’re a baking genius.

why whipping the eggs and sugar is important

That irresistible glossy, crackled top? It’s the hallmark of a perfect brownie. While boxed mixes use food chemistry, home bakers can achieve it with a simple technique: fluffed eggs and sugar. Aerating these ingredients creates a smooth, fudgy texture and that coveted, beautiful sheen.

Brownie mix ins!

As shown, these brownies are even better with mix-ins, one of my favorite additions being a pecan praline! The pralines is a perfect crunch to the moist brownie.

Don’t be afraid to get creative, add nuts, candy and even more chocolate for some deliciously customized brownies

the Perfect Brownies

Preparation Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes | Serving size: 16 br

Gather

• 1 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 5oz dark or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon instant espresso (or 1 Tablespoon instant coffee)
• 1 cup butter, to be browned
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla bean paste
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon salt

Follow

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line 9×13 dish* with parchment, allow overhang to remove.
2. In a large bowl, add coca powder, chocolate, and espresso powder.
3. Brown Butter: In a sauce pan over medium low heat, begin to melt butter. Butter will melt, foam and milk solids (white specks) will begin to appear. Once the solids show, start to watch the pot. Swirly the pot occasionally. You want the solids to brown. When the butter stops foaming and begins to smell nutty, and the solids are a nice caramel brown, remove from heat.
4. Add browned butter, to chocolate bowl, be sure to scrape the browned solids as well (add them to the chocolate). Whisk until shiny and smooth
5. Fluff sugar and eggs: With a stand or hand mixer, beat sugars, vanilla, and eggs on medium-high until thick and light in color. This takes anywhere from 8-10 minutes.
6. Add Chocolate: reduce speed to low. Slowly stream in chocolate while the mixer is going just until corporate.
7. Fold in flour: Using a large rubber spatula, gently fold in flour and salt. Mix until no more dry spots
8. Pour batter into prepared pan, spread evenly. Bake for 25 minutes** until top is glossy and center is barely set. Center should not be giggly. Remove from oven, let cool in pan for at least 30 minutes before moving them to cut.

notes

• * you can use a square pan to make thicker brownies. This will extend your baking time to 35 – 45 minutes. The signs are still the same: glossy top and set center.
• ** There has been instances where I’ve needed to cook this for 30 minutes before the center was set. Ovens can be difficult. Regardless of time, the center needs to be set before you remove it from the oven.