Brownies have so much going for them; great flavor, easy to make, and so versatile. The simplest brownies are made with just melted chocolate, butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and flour. Delicious, of course, but you can also take a brownie to the next level by adding a layer of frosting. And that is what we do with these Chocolate Brownies. We start with a brownie that has a deep chocolate flavor and a dense fudge-like texture and top it with a smooth and glossy Ganache frosting. This transforms it into a dessert so good that I am not sure whether we should call it a square or a candy.
Brownies can be made with cocoa powder, semi sweet chocolate, or unsweetened chocolate. Each will make a brownie with its own unique flavor and texture. These Chocolate Brownies use unsweetened chocolate which gives them an intense chocolate flavor as unsweetened chocolate is chocolate in its rawest form and is just ground cocoa nibs that have been refined and contain between 50-55% cocoa butter (cocao fat). They are very similar to the Katherine Hepburn Brownies only they contain more flour and double the amount of unsweetened chocolate which gives them a more fudge-like texture and an even stronger chocolate flavor. Again, as with most brownies, they are simply made using one bowl and are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with has just a few moist crumbs. Once the brownies have completely cooled, they are frosted with a Ganache frosting. Ganache is a mixture of cream, butter, and semi sweet chocolate and is wonderfully smooth and creamy with a glossy texture. I like to store these brownies in the refrigerator which makes them all the more fudgy. Serve them cold or at room temperature.
Chocolate Brownies:
4 ounces (120 grams) unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3/4 cup (95 grams) all-purposeflour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Chocolate Ganache:
3 ounces (90 grams) semi sweet chocolate, chopped1/3 cup (80 ml) heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon (14 grams) unsalted butter
Chocolate Brownies:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Butter, or spray with a non stick vegetable spray, an 8 inch (20 cm) square baking pan.
Melt the chocolate and butter in a large stainless steel bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar. Next, whisk in the vanilla extract and eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Finally, stir in the flour and salt.
Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.
Chocolate Ganache:
Makes 16 brownies.
Sources:
Lebovitz, David. The Great Book of Chocolate. Ten Speed Press. Berkeley: 2004
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