Fudgy Brownies

Name: Fudgy Brownies
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 2 h 20 min
Total time: 2 h 40 min
Cuisine: United States
Ingredients: 200 g (7 oz) dark chocolate (60–70%), chopped; 150 g (10½ tbsp) unsalted butter, plus a little for the pan; 250 g (1¼ cups) sugar, half light brown, half white is best; 3 large eggs (about 150 g without shells), at room temperature; 5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla extract; 3 g (½ tsp) fine sea salt; 30 g (⅓ cup) cocoa powder; 75 g (½ cup + 1 tbsp) all-purpose flour

Dense and fudgy with a shiny, crackled top

Makes: 16 squares (20 cm / 8 in square pan)
Hands-on: 20 min
Total: 2 h 40 min
Level: Easy

These are squarely on the fudgy side of the brownie divide: rich, dense, intensely chocolatey and barely held together by flour. Whisking the sugar hard with the eggs gives the papery, crackled top that marks a great brownie.

Ingredients

200 gdark chocolate (60–70%), chopped (7 oz)
150 gunsalted butter (10½ tbsp)plus a little for the pan
250 gsugar (1¼ cups)half light brown, half white is best
3large eggs (about 150 g without shells)at room temperature
5 mlvanilla extract (1 tsp)
3 gfine sea salt (½ tsp)
30 gcocoa powder (⅓ cup)
75 gall-purpose flour (½ cup + 1 tbsp)

Diet: Vegetarian
Allergens: gluten, egg, milk
Origin: United States

Method

Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Butter a 20 cm (8 in) square metal pan and line it with a sling of baking paper overhanging two sides.
Melt the chocolate and butter together in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water, or in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly. 5 min
In a large bowl, whisk the sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt vigorously for 2–3 minutes (or 1–2 minutes with an electric mixer), until pale, thick and the sugar is mostly dissolved. 3 min
Whisk in the warm chocolate mixture until glossy. Sift the cocoa and flour over and fold with a spatula until just combined, with no dry streaks.
Scrape into the pan and smooth the top. Bake 25–28 minutes, until the top is shiny and crackled, the edges are set, and a skewer in the center comes out with moist, sticky crumbs (not wet batter). 27 min
Cool completely in the pan, at least 1½ hours, then chill 30 minutes for neat cuts. Lift out by the paper and cut into 16 squares with a hot, dry knife. 1 h 30 min

Why it works

Beating sugar with eggs dissolves the sugar and whips air and protein into a thin meringue-like layer that rises to the top and dries in the oven into the shiny, crackly crust. A high ratio of chocolate and butter to flour makes the fudgy texture, while cocoa powder adds a deeper chocolate flavor than melted chocolate alone. Brownies keep cooking as they cool, so pulling them slightly underdone is what keeps them dense and moist.

Common mistakes

Overbaking, the most common mistake. The center should still be moist on a skewer.
Cutting warm. They fall apart; patience gives clean squares.
A glass pan, which bakes the edges hard before the center sets. Use metal.

Variations

Nutty: Fold in 100 g toasted chopped walnuts or hazelnuts with the flour.
Salted caramel swirl: Drop 6 spoonfuls of thick salted caramel over the batter and swirl with a knife before baking.

Make ahead and storage

Better on day two. Keep 5 days in an airtight container, or freeze squares for 3 months.

Notes

Fan oven: 160°C (320°F). Gluten-free: replace the flour with the same weight of ground almonds or a gluten-free flour blend. Many dark chocolates contain soy lecithin; check the label if cooking for someone with a soy allergy.