The Best Fudgy Brownies

• portions: 16 items
• temps actif: 15 minutes
• temps total: 45 minutes

Ingrédients

10 tablespoons (145g) unsalted butter

1 ¼ cups (250g) granulated sugar

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (75g) unsweetened cocoa powder, spooned and leveled

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

2 large cold eggs

1/2 cup (65g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled

2/3 cup (80g) chopped walnuts, pecans, or chocolate chips, optional

Instructions

Preheat oven and prep pan: Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 325°F (162°C). Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on opposite sides to help remove the baked brownies from the pan.

Melt the butter: Add the butter to a medium saucepan. Place over medium-low heat and cook until the butter melts completely, then turn off the heat. Stay close, and do not let it brown.

Stir in the sugar and cocoa: While the butter is hot, stir in the sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt. Stir well until blended. Don’t worry if the batter looks gritty. Once you add the eggs later, the brownie batter will become smooth.

Cool the mixture slightly: Set the saucepan aside to cool until the mixture is warm, not hot, 5 to 10 minutes. Test the temperature by touching the batter, it should still be quite warm, but not too hot that you need to pull away.

Add the eggs: Add the cold eggs, one at a time, stirring vigorously after each egg.

Beat in the flour: When the batter looks thick and well blended, add the flour. Use a spoon to beat the flour into the batter until it is very thick and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. I use a wooden spoon or spatula and beat for 40 to 50 strokes (see video for reference).

Add optional mix-ins: If using, stir in nuts or chocolate chips (optional).

Bake the brownies: Scrape the thick batter into your prepared pan and spread it evenly, pushing it into the corners. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the edges look set and the middle is slightly underbaked. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out with somewhat moist batter.

Cool and slice: Let the brownies cool completely in the pan to ensure they set properly. To cut them, use a sharp chef’s knife, wiping the blade clean after each slice for perfect edges. For even cleaner edges, chill the brownies in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours before slicing.

Nutrition

• Taille de Portion: 1 brownie
• Calories: 158
• Lipides Totaux: 8 g
• Lipides Saturés: 5 g
• Cholestérol: 42 mg
• Glucides Totaux: 21 g
• Fibres Diététiques: 2 g
• Sucres Totaux: 16 g
• Protéines: 2 g