Brownies. What is it about the humble brownie that infatuates so many. My dad and I have had many discussions about this bar. Is it the fact that it’s the best of cookies, bars, cake and fudge all wrapped into one? Possibly. Or, is it that with one bite of the perfect brownie chocolate cravings are quenched? It could be that too. Honestly, I can’t tell you what it is about this bar that makes me obsessed.
I can say that there are so many variations of the brownie. Everyone has their perfect version. Although simple, they can be extremely temperamental. But I guess the last point can be true of pretty much any baked good. But still, who would think something so simple, like a brownie, could be so complex?
Well, once I started looking at all the different versions it didn’t take me long to figure out the brownie was just like ice cream. There are tons of flavors of ice cream to suite everyone’s taste, just like there are several types of brownies to do just the same. There are thick cake-y brownies. Thin fudgy brownies. Brownies filled nuts. Some with coconut. Others with chocolate chips. That’s just a few of the million add-ins that are included in some people’s ultimate brownies. I haven’t even mentioned anything about the frosted variations. So, as we all know there are brownies to suite everyone’s taste.
So what’s my taste. Well, while my tastes on many things have changed over the years, my definition of the perfect brownie has remained the same. A thick, dense brownie that has a lightly crunchy top and incredibly fudgy center. I don’t want that cake-y stuff, it’s just not my cup of tea. If the brownie has chunks of chocolate in it, even better.
I’ve had and made my fare-share of brownies and I’ve consumed a lot of delicious brownies over the years. Although I’ve made several amazing variations, it hasn’t stopped my from trying practically every recipe that I come across that claims to be “the best” or “the fudgiest”. Because, honestly, you can never have too many brownie recipes.
So, without further adieu I share with you the latest recipe in my (ever growing) brownie collection. This has to be truly one of the best brownies I’ve ever put in my mouth. When I pulled these from the oven I was overjoyed with the way they looked. But the final test came after they were cool enough to cut. Because we all know, no matter how good something looks, it is all about the taste. And after waiting as long as I could, which was only about 3 minutes…don’t judge! I dug in. Oh my goodness, these brownies were everything I could have hoped for and then more.
The top had a shiny finish, which is exactly what I was going for in the looks department. At first bite it had a slight crunch followed by a dense, fudgy, gooey brownie with bits of dark and semi sweet chocolate chunks throughout. This brownie is packed with chocolate, it’s rich, moist, and gooey. Everything anyone could want in a brownie. They are rich and packed full of chocolate, but it’s not too much chocolate. I mean cut yourself a piece of brownie, pour a glass of ice cold milk and enjoy. You could also take it a step further and make a hot fudge sundae using this brownie as a base, serve with a scoop of ice cream and a fruit sauce, or if you’re wanting to surprise your sweetheart this weekend you could make a trifle. Stay tuned later in the week for an amazing and simple trifle recipe that will wow that special someone!
{Better Than} Bakery Style Brownies
Ingredients:
1 Stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
1 Oz semi-sweet chocolate, roughly chopped
2 Oz unsweetened chocolate, roughly chopped
1 Cup sugar
2 Eggs
1/2 Cup flour
3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tsp cornstarch
1/4 Tsp salt
1/2 Cup dark chocolate chips or chunks
1/4 Cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325. Line a 9×9 baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
Combine flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
Place butter in a microwave safe dish. Heat in 20 second intervals until almost completely melted. Add the chopped chocolates and stir to combine. Return to microwave and heat in 20 second intervals, stirring after each, until the chocolate is melted.
Remove from microwave, add sugar and whisk to combine. Once the mixture is room temperature, add the eggs and whisk to combine. Add the flour mixture and whisk until just incorporated. Add the chocolate chips, fold to incorporate. Pour in the prepared baking dish, spread into an even layer. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 35-45 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before cutting. Store in an airtight container.
Recipe source: A Lynsey Original
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