These are extremely rich melt-in-your mouth brownies. Slice them smaller than your typical brownies as a small bite goes a long way!
Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly grease an 8x8 pan and line it with parchment paper.
Place butter in a stainless steel bowl over a pot of simmering water. We are creating a double-boiler. Allow the butter to melt. Stir in sugar and salt. Keep stirring for a couple of minutes. The goal here is to try to dissolve the sugar, at least partially. Remove from heat but leave it on top of the pot of hot water. Add the chocolate and allow the mixture to sit for one minute. Then stir with a rubber spatula gently until melted. If for any reason the chocolate hasn't melted, you may place the pot of simmering water with the bowl of chocolate on top back on the heat and continue stirring the chocolate until melted.
Allow the mixture to cool slightly. Add vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, beating them well with a wooden spoon after each addition until well-incorporated. You do not need to cool the chocolate mixture completely - if you gradually add eggs while whisking them in, you will avoid scrambling the eggs/separating the batter
Sift cornstarch and cocoa powder into your chocolate mixture and whisk it well. Take a wooden spoon and beat the batter for 40 strokes. I'm borrowing this technique from Alice Medrich, but her description is perfect and leaves no room for interpretation, guaranteeing consistently successful results. By mixing the brownies with the wooden spoon - you are incorporating them, aerating them lightly, without incorporating too much air which will result in a cake like texture. Pour the batter into the baking dish. Gently tap the pan on the counter 3 times to allow the air to escape.
Bake in preheated oven for 28-34 minutes (likely 31 minutes will be ideal but everyone's oven is slightly different.) Bake until the edges are firm, the top is shiny and the centre is just set. The internal temperature should be about 204-205. Unlike a traditional flour brownie, toothpick test will not work as well here. Allow to cool in the pan completely. Then, for best texture, I refrigerate these brownies for at least an hour, before slicing. Slice the brownies with a sharp knife (that you held under hot water and wiped with a towel between each slice for precise cuts.) I suggest slicing these into 16 pieces maybe even more. These brownies are exceptionally rich and a small slice goes a long way.
Do not use chocolate chips in this recipe or any other recipe unless it specifically calls for chocolate chips. Chocolate chips have plenty of glucose and wax in them and are specifically designed for a purpose of holding their shape. They are not suitable for this recipe and most baking recipes that call for melting/baking chocolate.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly grease an 8x8 pan and line it with parchment paper.
Place butter in a stainless steel bowl over a pot of simmering water. We are creating a double-boiler. Allow the butter to melt. Stir in sugar and salt. Keep stirring for a couple of minutes. The goal here is to try to dissolve the sugar, at least partially. Remove from heat but leave it on top of the pot of hot water. Add the chocolate and allow the mixture to sit for one minute. Then stir with a rubber spatula gently until melted. If for any reason the chocolate hasn't melted, you may place the pot of simmering water with the bowl of chocolate on top back on the heat and continue stirring the chocolate until melted.
Allow the mixture to cool slightly. Add vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, beating them well with a wooden spoon after each addition until well-incorporated. You do not need to cool the chocolate mixture completely - if you gradually add eggs while whisking them in, you will avoid scrambling the eggs/separating the batter
Sift cornstarch and cocoa powder into your chocolate mixture and whisk it well. Take a wooden spoon and beat the batter for 40 strokes. I'm borrowing this technique from Alice Medrich, but her description is perfect and leaves no room for interpretation, guaranteeing consistently successful results. By mixing the brownies with the wooden spoon - you are incorporating them, aerating them lightly, without incorporating too much air which will result in a cake like texture. Pour the batter into the baking dish. Gently tap the pan on the counter 3 times to allow the air to escape.
Bake in preheated oven for 28-34 minutes (likely 31 minutes will be ideal but everyone's oven is slightly different.) Bake until the edges are firm, the top is shiny and the centre is just set. The internal temperature should be about 204-205. Unlike a traditional flour brownie, toothpick test will not work as well here. Allow to cool in the pan completely. Then, for best texture, I refrigerate these brownies for at least an hour, before slicing. Slice the brownies with a sharp knife (that you held under hot water and wiped with a towel between each slice for precise cuts.) I suggest slicing these into 16 pieces maybe even more. These brownies are exceptionally rich and a small slice goes a long way.
Do not use chocolate chips in this recipe or any other recipe unless it specifically calls for chocolate chips. Chocolate chips have plenty of glucose and wax in them and are specifically designed for a purpose of holding their shape. They are not suitable for this recipe and most baking recipes that call for melting/baking chocolate.
