As much as I love winging it while cooking, baking is basically science, so it leaves less room for improvisation. Thankfully, there are plenty of recipes from powerhouses like Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa, that are basically perfection as-is. My version follows the original very closely, with just the omission of one ingredient and the reduction of a few others. These are flawlessly dense, rich, and basically a light fudge (and not even that light). And unlike most baked goods, these store very well for days and days and freeze delightfully well, which is good, because the recipe makes an insane amount.
Ingredients
- 1 pound unsalted butter
- 1 pound plus 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
- 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
- 6 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons espresso powder (or instant coffee granules)
- 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
Instructions
Melt together the butter, 1 pound of chocolate chips, and the unsweetened chocolate in a double boiler, aka bain-marie (a medium bowl [stainless steel or glass] over a pot of simmering water). Allow to cool slightly. In a large bowl, stir (do not beat; you don’t want to aerate the mixture) together the eggs, espresso powder, vanilla, and sugar. Stir the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and allow to cool to room temperature.
While the chocolate mixture is cooling, preheat oven to 350 degrees F and butter and flour a half sheet pan (which is 13x19x1), then line with parchment and grease parchment.
In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup of flour, the baking powder, and salt. Add to the cooled chocolate mixture and gently fold. Toss the remaining 12 ounces of chocolate chips in a medium bowl with 1/4 cup of flour, then fold them into the chocolate batter until just mixed (do not overmix!). Pour into the baking sheet.
Bake for 20 minutes in preheated oven, then lightly drop the baking sheet against the oven shelf from an inch or two up, to force the air/bubbles to escape from the batter. Bake for about 15 minutes more, until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake or the chocolate may turn bitter, and the brownies will become tough. Allow to cool thoroughly, refrigerate (at least several hours or overnight), and cut into squares or triangles.
Brownies store well, tightly wrapped in the fridge for 5 or 6 days and freeze wonderfully.
Notes:
- I really don’t know how many servings these make—a lot! Ina’s original recipe calls to slice a half sheet pan into 20 squares, which seem very large for something so rich.
- Want to add nuts? Go for it, just don’t tell me about it—I like my brownies packed full of chocolate and sans walnuts or pecans (even though I love both).
- I wish I could be more helpful providing a time estimate on how long the chocolate mixture cools, but it fully depends on your kitchen. I let the melted chocolate mixture cool at least 10 minutes before adding to the egg mixture and then letting cool an additional 15 minutes after. Don’t refrigerate, but just let the mixture take it’s time to cool at room temperature.
