I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect brownie. I wanted something with a good chocolate flavor, and a perfect fudgy texture. First, I started with Chocolate Souffle Brownies. They were fantastic, but not quite what my taste buds were craving. A little too dark. I then made a batch of Cherry Walnut Brownies. They were also good, but a little too sweet. Well, ladies and gentleman (or if I’m being honest) Mom, I have found it. I’ve found the recipe for the best fudge brownies ever! Salted fudge brownies are perfect in texture and taste. What sets them apart is the sprinkling of salt in each bite which really brings out the chocolate flavor while subduing its bitterness. I got this recipe from Kate Krader at Food & Wine Magazine. She created it when she was 10. You know what I was doing when I was 10? Watching Three’s Company while eating a whole bag of Cheetos, probably.
Because of my recent brownie obsession I’ve learned a thing or two. Here comes some bullet points:
- An overdone brownie does not a good brownie make. I suggest you bake brownies in a 325 degree F. oven for about 30-some minutes (give or take).
- If you have a candy thermometer on hand use it to take the brownie’s internal temperature. It’s ready to come out of the oven at 210 degrees F.
- I’ve found that the edges are always more over baked than the middle, so I used Wilton’s Bake Even Strips. These strips are dampened with water and then wrapped around the outside of the pan. The water in the strips keeps the edges cooler, and therefore, won’t bake as quick.
Let’s get to it. Whisk the sugar and eggs until light and aerated.
Pour in melted butter and melted unsweetened chocolate.
Mix in vanilla extract and cocoa powder.
Finally, stir in the flour.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and then sprinkle the top with coarse sea salt.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in a 325 degree F. oven.
- 2 oz. (57 g) Unsweetened Chocolate, chopped
- 1 and ½ sticks (169 g) Unsalted Butter, softened and cut into tablespoon-sized pieces
- ¼ cup plus 2 TBS (31 g) Cocoa Powder
- 3 Large Eggs
- 2 cups (400 g) Sugar
- 2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup (125 g) All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp. Coarse Sea Salt
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 8-inch square baking pan with foil, so that it hangs an inch out past each side. Lightly grease the foil with oil spray. Secure the Bake Even Strips around the pan, if using.
- In a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, heat the unsweetened chocolate and butter until melted and smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat.
- In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until light and aerated. Add ½ cup of the melted chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and whisk together. Stir in the rest of the melted chocolate mixture. Mix in the vanilla extract, cocoa powder until combined. Finally, mix in the flour
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the salt evenly over the top, and then using a butter knife, swirl the salt into the batter.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. The brownies are ready when an inserted toothpick comes out mostly clean with just a few bits of brownie stuck to it. If taking the internal temperature then remove the brownies from the oven when it reaches 210 degrees F.
- Cool the brownies in their pan on a wire rack for 1 hour, and then cover the pan with foil and chill in the refrigerator for another hour. When ready, carefully pull the overhang of the foil to remove the brownies, and then remove the foil. Using a hot knife (dipped in hot water and then dried) cut out 1 and ½ inch squares. Enjoy!
- 8-inch square baking pan
- Foil
- Wilton's Bake Even Strips (optional)
- Saucepan
- Large heat-proof bowl
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula
- Candy thermometer (optional)
