Absolutely Fudgy-est Brownies

Aka: Brown Butter, Brown Sugar Brownies

I am not the person diving for an edge piece of brownies out of the pan. But, I will fight you for a dead - center piece. Sometimes I *have* to carve out the center piece, just because I need the actual least baked bite. These brownies are SO rich and SO thick and SO chocolatey.  I do think there is something here for every brownie lover to love. Crackly top, bubbled up edges, and just enough underbaked gooey insides.  I did stretch the limits with eggs here; just to see how far the richness could go. The dark brown sugar/ brown butter/ chocolate, mixed with more chocolate, compliment each other…oh so well. All together now: YUM.

Brownie batter:

120g. Unsweetened chocolate

220g. Dark chocolate bar

1 cup/ 2 sticks of unsalted butter, browned and slightly cooled

5 large eggs, at room temperature

2 large yolks, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar

2 tsp vanilla paste (or extract)

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted (I like Hershey’s Special Dark)

1 cup flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp sea salt

Chocolate chunks for middle layer (optional-ish, but also necessary)

To prepare:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and grease/ line a 9x13 inch pan with parchment paper.

First, brown the butter. Melt the butter over medium high heat in a medium sauce pan. Do not stir the butter, but just lift and swirl the pan around until it’s evenly melted. Then let it heat up and foam for several minutes. As it's browning, imagine Monica's, from "Friends," voice saying, "Great Rach, you now have the cooking skills of a hot day." (IYKYK, ha!) Because I can barely ever melt butter and not think of that scene! Anyway, wait for it to smell super buttery and then stir around with a wooden spoon until you see brown bits forming in the pan. Once the butter has darkened in color, remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

Melt the chocolate using a double boiler or in the microwave, stirring frequently. Then add the browned butter to the melted chocolate and stir.  Stir in the vanilla paste. Set aside for a few minutes.

Add all of the eggs and yolks to a large mixing bowl for a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, whisk the eggs at medium speed for 30 seconds.  Next, add the sugars to the eggs and whisk on low just to combine. Increase speed to medium high and continue whisking until mixture is pale and fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the whisk. Next, add the butter and chocolate mixture to the mixing bowl. Whisk on medium speed until completely mixed in. Scrape across the bottom of the bowl and whisk again for 15 seconds.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Whisk a few times and then add to the chocolate mixture in the stand mixer bowl. Mix on LOW speed for no more than 30 seconds! Scrape around the sides and bottom of the bowl and ensure the batter is fully mixed. Mix for 10 seconds more if there are any remaining streaks of flour.

Pour about half the batter into the prepared dish. Sprinkle chocolate chunks over the batter in the quantity that you feel is sufficient. There is no right or wrong here. This is just an extra layer of melty chocolate inside the brownies. So, actually, “wrong” would be omitting. Ha!

Pour the rest of the brownie batter into the pan and use a butter knife or offset spatula to spread in an even layer and all the way to the corners. You will have to force it into the corners. It’s a thick batter!

Bake for 25-30 minutes. For me 28 minutes was perfect.

Then allow to cool fully in the pan. Of course, if you cut them too soon, it will be messy. I can’t blame you. Then, oh my goodness, enjoy!!

This makes a huge batch, considering how rich they are, a little goes a long way. Feel free to wrap and freeze or share with very lucky people!