March 29, 2011 - 8:12pm
The Best Brownie Ever
BY JORDAN KRISTOPIK
- I dare you to eat just one.
Fact #1: Homemade brownies are just as easy to make as box brownies.
Fact #2: Homemade brownies taste a million times better than box brownies.
There’s not much to say, except MAKE THESE BROWNIES. They are super dark, intense, and moist. And they can all be made in one bowl. I’m serious. Just mix, dump and bake. They take almost no time, and they are the most decadent dessert you’ll eat. If you make them this weekend, your Valentine will be so pleased that dinner, dessert, and gifts are unnecessary. Just watch the Olympics and eat these. But you might want to put a few in the freezer to stop yourself from eating the whole batch. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
There are two key things here that make these one-bowl brownies so good. First is 100% unsweetened chocolate. This stuff tastes nasty by itself. It is super bitter and for baking only. Don’t make these brownies with semisweet or bittersweet—you won’t get the same intensity. The second key is cake flour. Don’t use all purpose flour here, the brownies will end up dry and crumbly. The cake flour gives you a light delicate crumb, which produces the most fudgey brownie. It also gives the brownies a crispy top (don’t ask me for the science on this one).
And because I couldn’t just let these brownies stand alone, I added chopped graham crackers to the batter, and threw some marshmallows on top during the last half of baking. Presto! S’Mores brownies.
Intense One-Bowl Brownies
Adapted from my favorite food blog, smittenkitchen.com
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups cake flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Line 13x9 pan with tin foil. Spray with cooking spray. Melt butter and chocolate in a bowl in a microwave in 30 second intervals until melted, stirring in between. Whisk in sugar. Add eggs, and blend together. Add vanilla, salt, and baking powder. Add flour last. Beware! This batter is super thick, and really hard to mix. Have a strong arm ready. Pour into your prepared pan and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick tester comes out clean. Cool for two hours before cutting (this is the hardest part).
