Best Brownie Receipe Ever!
Seriously. I’ve made a lot of brownies in my day. From box mixes (which really aren’t that great when you consider from scratch are not much more effort), to a recipes I’ve found on blogs, in cookbooks and magazines, to family recipes. I even worked in a gourmet brownie bakery that charged 8 bucks for a brownie. Most are good; I’ve never made a pan of brownies that weren’t devoured pretty much immediately (except for the one made with beets…eww).
What makes a good brownie? A brownie is it’s essence should be chocolatey, fudgy and a tad rich. It should not be cakelike (otherwise it would be cake people!) and it doesn’t need to have fancy ingredients like caramel and peanut butter to be good. If you use real butter, good quality chocolate, either cocoa powder or melted (I prefer cocoa powder), you’ll get something amazing. They’re easy to make, which makes them the perfect treat for parties and picnics, and everyone loves them.
I’ve often come across recipes that claimed to be the best brownie ever, and while they’re all good, I haven’t found one that has stuck with me. Until I found this one.
This recipe is everything a brownie should be: Fudgy and chocolatey with a shiny crackly top. The browned butter adds an additional depth of flavor that is worth the extra step. While you can skip it if you are in a hurry, I seriously urge you not to. It’s not a huge burst of flavor, but it adds enough to make someone say “What’s different about this brownie?”
If you are in search of the best brownie recipe ever, try this one, I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Cocoa Brownies with Browned Butter and Walnuts
Ingredients
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder (spooned into cup to measure, then leveled)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, chilled
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup walnut pieces
Preparation
Position rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 325°F. Line 8x8x2-inch metal baking pan with foil, pressing foil firmly against pan sides and leaving 2-inch overhang. Coat foil with nonstick spray. Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking until butter stops foaming and browned bits form at bottom of pan, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; immediately add sugar, cocoa, 2 teaspoons water, vanilla, and 1/4 teaspoon (generous) salt. Stir to blend. Let cool 5 minutes (mixture will still be hot). Add eggs to hot mixture 1 at a time, beating vigorously to blend after each addition. When mixture looks thick and shiny, add flour and stir until blended. Beat vigorously 60 strokes. Stir in nuts. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
Bake brownies until toothpick inserted into center comes out almost clean (with a few moist crumbs attached), about 25 minutes. Cool in pan on rack. Using foil overhang, lift brownies from pan. Cut into 4 strips. Cut each strip crosswise into 4 brownies. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.
Do you have a favorite brownie recipe?
