Homemade, Chewy, Chunky Brownies

I am not a super sweets fan, so when I go through the trouble to bake or make something sweet, I have great expectations! A couple months ago, I made a triple chocolate mousse cake that was an absolute stunner! Will share that in the coming days. After that recipe, what I was left with was a larger appreciation for the work that bakers and other cooks put into the perfecting of bakery items, but also a cabinet full of Dutch Cocoa, espresso powder, and various chocolate bars, not meant to be directly consumed, but cooked with. This led me to a search for a chocolatey recipe that would use my ingredients, challenge my skills and ultimately, make my husband happy. He has a true sweet tooth!

Behold, the Brownie

After digging through numerous cookbooks, I settled on what America’s Test Kitchen (ATK) calls “Chewy Brownies” and decided this was the recipe to tackle. Truth be told, I did not grow up a brownie fan, but after having ordered a brownie fudge sundae with friends at a local Irish Pub some years ago, I realized that there is something about a chewy brownie with some crunchy edge that cannot be matched. This recipe pulls out the stops, in that not only is it chewy with amazing crunch at the edges, but within, some of the chocolate is left as 1/2 inch chunks, lending some inner crunch. It is perfection!!

Ingredient list

Instructions for Cooking

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Set the oven rack to the lowest position. The original ATK recipe indicates to use a 13 x 9 inch baking pan. I chose to use a a smaller glass pan, which was 11.5 x 8.5, because I wanted a little bit taller brownie in the end. Create a foil sling by setting foil in into the pan in both directions with at least a few inches of excess hanging over the edge of pan. This is in order to be able to lift the brownies out of the pan, once they out of oven. Push the foil into corners of pan firmly and grease liberally. You can do this easily with canola spray or baking spray, if you do not want to hassle with a stick of butter melting in your hands!

Whisk the cocoa and expresso powder and then pour in the boiling water. Whisk until combined. Add the unsweetened chocolate and whisk until it is fully melted. Add the butter and the oil, whisking while you go. Once fully combined, add the eggs and yolks, as well as vanilla. Note that my eggs were not what I would consider large, so I went ahead and added in an additional yolk.

Add in the sugar and whisk until fully combined. And in the salt and grab a rubber spatula. Begin slowly incorporating the flour until is is totally combined. Fold in the bittersweet chocolate pieces until spread throughout the batter. This is the magic bit of this recipe!!

Scrape the brownie batter into the prepared pan and get it into the oven. Original recipe indicates that the cook time will be 30-35 mins. Because my pan was glass (conducts heat really well) and the pan was smaller, creating a thicker brownie, my cook time was roughly 50 mins in the end. Be prepared to begin checking at 30 mins, either way, to ensure you do not overcook. You will be looking to insert a toothpick, not in the center, but about half between the edge and the middle, with only a bit of moist crumbs on the toothpick when removed.

Cooling

When brownies are done, lift brownies out using the foil sling and place on a wire rack. Let cool for 1 hour. Note that foil may appear to stick a bit to bottom of the brownies. Be patient and slowly peel the foil back. It will come away with no issue if managed carefully.

Serving

I love something creamy to cut the intense chocolatiness of these brownies. I opted for Talenti Coffee Chocolate Chip gelato and some berries!

Tips

As mentioned, I used a smaller pan to get a higher rise on the brownies. This takes a little bit of watch and see, as you need to make sure you check once you hit the 35 min mark (they will be undercooked at this point), to make sure you know how far you are from done and then check periodically until done.

It seems a bit scary putting the bittersweet in at the end in chunk form. If you are the type to not want chips in your ice cream or brownie, I would recommend shaving these more fine. Otherwise, these chunks, in my, and my husband John’s opinions, make this brownie damn remarkable! Moist, chewy, chunky and chocolaty!

Go for the Droste Cocoa Powder. It does not disappoint. I have spent years over the course of my life in the Netherlands and can bona fide recommend their chocolates as well! If you stumble on them, or are a chocolate fan, get an order in for those babies!