Perfect Brownies from Scratch
Welcome to brownie nirvana with this recipe for Perfect Brownies from Scratch. These brownies check all the boxes with shiny, crinkly tops, slightly chewy edges, and irresistibly fudgy centers.
Servings: 9 Brownies
Calories: 287kcal
Equipment
- Small Saucepan
- Parchment Paper
- 9x9-Inch Metal Baking Pan Required if you want shiny, crinkly tops. See recipe note below.
- Instant Read Digital Thermometer Optional but Recommended
Ingredients
- 224 g Sticks Unsalted Butter Melted
- 65 g Unsweetened Cocoa Powder Substitute Dutch Process Cocoa Powder - See Recipe Note Below
- 220 g Cane Sugar
- 110 g Light Brown Sugar
- 3 Large Eggs Beaten
- 2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ½ Teaspoons Fee Brother's Black Walnut Bitters or Angostura Aromatic Bitters (Optional)
- 70 g All-Purpose Flour (Spoon the flour into a measuring cup, and scrape off the excess if using volume measurements)
- ⅛ Teaspoon Baking Soda Omit if using Dutch Process Cocoa Powder
- ¾ Teaspoons Fine Sea Salt
- 125 g Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F, and prepare a 9x9-inch metal baking pan by lining it with parchment paper.
- Melt butter over medium-high heat in a small saucepan. Mix in the coca powder and stir until well combined. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Add the cane sugar, light brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and bitters (if using) to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium-high speed for 3 - 4 minutes until off-white in color, and light and fluffy in texture.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and fine sea salt together.
- Add the melted butter and cocoa mixture to the sugar and egg mixture, and fold together until just combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and fold together until just combined. Add the chocolate chips then pour into the prepared baking pan.
- Bake for 35-38 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean, or 200-210°F internal temperature as read on an instant read thermometer. The higher the temperature, the more cake-like your brownies will be. The lower the temperature, the more fudge-like they will be.
Notes
Tips to achieve the perfect shiny, crinkly top:
The key to getting that shiny, crinkly brownie top lies in the equipment and the techniques used. It is absolutely critical to make sure you have the following components:
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- Whip the Eggs and Sugar - Properly whipping the eggs and sugar together until the mixture is off-white and fluffy is the best way to ensure that you will end up with the perfect crinkly, shiny top. Do this by mixing the eggs and sugar together over medium-high speed for 3 to 4 minutes until the proper texture is achieved. All the other ingredients get added to this mixture and it's also important to gently fold them in to keep as much air in the batter as possible.
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- Aluminum Or Non-Stick Metal Pan - Glass or ceramic pans take too long to heat up and will not transfer heat quick enough to cause the brownies to skin over properly. You will end up with tasty brownies, but the look and the texture won't be the same. They will be more cake-like due to the slower heat transfer.
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- Cocoa Powder - This recipe calls to use natural, unsweetened cocoa powder and baking soda. The baking soda is added to reduce the acidity in the natural cocoa powder. Dutch Process cocoa powder can be used, just be sure to omit the baking soda. Dutch process cocoa powder uses cocoa beans that have been processed with an alkali solution that removes the acidity and the baking soda is no longer needed.
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- All Purpose Flour - Make these gluten-free by swapping out equal amounts of the all purpose flour for Bob's Red Mill - 1 to 1 Gluten Free Baking Flour or other gluten-free substitute.
Nutrition
Calories: 287kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 237mg | Potassium: 240mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 92IU | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 3mg
