It is time for another recipe of 'mine.' This recipe created the thickest, most dense brownies I have ever eaten. It is precisely how I like them. There will be no 'jump to recipe' button for this, as the small talk leading up to it will be kept brief.
History
I grew up with some sort of box mix, likely Betty Crocker. The younger, naive version of me didn't know any better, but liked what popped out of the oven. As I tried more and more brownies, I became more drawn over time to the more dense, more fudgy variants. After research and experimentation, my recipe has turned out to exemplify such.
Inspiration
This recipe is largely based off of one originally by Broma Bakery one, which is linked below.
Methodology
This section detials what exactly makes these brownies just so superior to any other. The key is the mixing method; the one you apply to your recipe will alter how your brownies turn out, mostly in terms of texture.
My go-to method is the 'sponge' mix. What this involves is melting the butter in a sauce pan, and subsequently adding the cocoa powder into such, thus 'blooming' the powder and chocolatey flavor. This mixture is then added to the sugar and egg mix, which has already been previously combined.
It is also key to mix the eggs and sugar until lighter in color, mixing at high speed for about one minute. Allowing the sugar to meld into the eggs will give the brownies the dazzling, crackly and shiny top.
Lastly, the dry ingredients are folded in. It is important to merely fold the dry into the wet batter until just combined. Dry ingredients, in this instance, consist of flour, as well as any other additives you'd like to put into your brownies, such as nuts or chocolate chips.
Other mixing methods, like a traditonal creaming method (mixing sugar and butter), will result in a cakier texture. This is due to the air that has been incorporated into the wet mixture. But, with this method, the cocoa flavor will be most pronounced.
Unique Ingredients
I aim to utilize the best ingredients I can in order to create the best final product. Some make little to no difference, such as the eggs you use, but others will be key in making a better brownie batch.
Browned, salted butter: I grew up with 'regular' salted butter, and have always used that in my baking. When doing so, i skip any added salt that a recipe may ask for. If you are being extra conscious about the saltiness of your dish, then controlling such via unsalted butter is wise. I find that salted butter just tastes better, and never results in any bitter or unwanted saltiness in the baked good.
I always am sure to brown the butter as well, giving it a nutty flavor that only ehances the richness of the brownies. I am sure to brown my butter for cakes and cookies as well, and even sweetbreads.
Espresso powder: I have never been a fan of coffee-flavored desserts, but what espresso powder does in this recipe is only further amplify the flavor of the brownies.
Dark brown sugar: when aiming for the most dense brownie possible, I always use the darkest brown sugar I can find ( or make), and no white sugar. The extra molasses, once again, provides an unparalleled richness to the brownies.
Ensure the vanilla extract you utilize is a good one; I always go for Penzy's Mexican. One or two teaspoons will suffice, but I just eyeball it.
Flaky sea salt: sprinkling a bit of salt just on top of your brownies will provide a slight crunch and good contrast to the sweetness of the brownies themselves. The enhanced aesthetic is an added bonus.
Recipe
Even though I claim this recipe as my own, it has been inspired from previous recipes, like Broma's. It's a great philosophical debate whether anyone actually comes up with their own baked good or their own dish. I choose not to claim total ownership-- let the wheel in the sky keep turning, and let the bakers keep baking. I believe this to be a contender for the best brownie recipe, but I leave to you to make the final call.
Brownies
Preparation time: approximately 20 minutes
Baking time: approximately 30 minutes
Utensils needed:
Sauce pan (preferably cast-iron)
Large mixing bowl
Stand or hand mixer
Rubber spatula
9x13 oven-safe baking dish, either lined with parchment or buttered + floured
Ingredients:
Browned and bloomed:
1 1/2 cups browned butter
1 1/2 cups Dutch process cocoa powder
2 teaspoons espresso powder
Wet:
3 cups dark brown sugar, packed
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
Dry:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
additional flaky sea salt
Mix-ins:
1/2 - 1 cup of chocolate chips or chopped nuts
Method:
Line dish with parchment. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a bowl, combine sugar and eggs until creamed, and lighter in color, about one minute on high speed. Mix in vanilla. Set aside.
In cast-iron pan, brown butter. The longer, the better. Ensure this is done over relatively lower heat for even browning. Dump in cocoa powder and espresso powder, mix smooth.
Mix butter-cocoa combination into wet ingredients. Do not over mix.
Fold in flour and any added mix-ins. Do not over mix.
Pour into prepared baking dish. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until the edge of the pan comes out clean upon insertion of a tooth pick. Let cool for 15 minutes, then serve.
When tweaking this recipe, I noticed I used only two cups of brown sugar compared to three. If you absolutely love darker chocolate like myself, then you’ll get by with two cups. If you are making these for a random holiday party or for children, stick to three. Regardless, the texture was divine. Enjoy!
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