Fudgy Brownies

I have eaten my fair share of brownies over the years, and have just stumbled upon one of the tastiest ones yet. I fall into the crispy-on-top, fudgy-in-the-centre camp, and these brownies, with the addition of chopped chunks of chocolate, strike the perfect balance.

The recipe from King Arthur Flour has a twist in its preparation. The butter and sugar is melted together, and then reheated a second time. This technique results in a thin, crispy, and shiny top crust. These brownies are so delectable that I almost single-handedly devoured the entire pan. Almost...

Fudgy Brownies

Yield: 24 servings

1 cup Unsalted Butter
2 1/4 cups Sugar
1 1/4 cups Dutch-Process Cocoa
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
4 large Eggs
1 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
2 cups chocolate, chopped into chunks, or chocolate chips

Optional: * 1 tsp Espresso Powder; 1 tsp Chocolate Extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9×13 inch pan or line with foil.

In a saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter. Add the sugar and stir to combine. Return the mixture to the heat and heat until mixture is very hot but not bubbling; it will become shiny looking as you stir it. Heating the butter and sugar a second time will dissolve more of the sugar, which will yield a shiny, crisp top crust.

Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl, and stir in the cocoa, salt, baking powder and vanilla (also, espresso powder and chocolate extract, if using). Mix in the hot butter/sugar mixture until combined. At this point, you can allow the mixture to cool slightly (20 minutes) if you do not want the chocolate chunks to melt into the batter. Otherwise, stir in the flour and chocolate chunks immediately until smooth. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 28 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the centre comes out with a few crumbs. Remove from the oven. Cool completely, then cut and serve.