Everyday Brownies

I. Love. Brownies. My very favorite...the center square from a pan of deep, dark, fudgy brownies. Ahhh. I've made lots (and lots!) of brownies on the blog: Caramel Brownies, Kahlua Cheesecake Brownies, Guinness-Vanilla Bean Frosted Mocha Brownies...you can find a list of allllll of the brownies and blondies on the blog here.

Sometimes though, I just want a plain ol' brownie. A basic brownie. A fudgy, rich, close-your-eyes-and-swoon brownie. This is it.

The recipe comes together all in one pan. It's a method I learned from King Arthur Flour many years ago, and it works! The result is a fudgy, moist brownie studded with melty chocolate chips, with that signature crackly top. Perfection.



To boost the chocolate flavor, we'll be using a bit of instant espresso powder. The brownies don't taste like coffee...just more deeply chocolate.

You'll start by melting butter, then adding sugar and continuing to heat. I like to use granulated and light brown sugar. The brown sugar adds a deeper flavor and makes for a fudgier brownie.

Next, you'll whisk in cocoa powder, instant espresso powder, baking powder, salt, and vanilla. I use Dutch-process cocoa here. Lately, I've really been loving the Dutch-process cocoas from Gerb's and Rodelle.

Whisk in the eggs. Then, stir in the flour. (At this point, I'm always tempted to just grab a straw and make it a brownie smoothie.)

Let the mixture cool for a bit, then add in the chocolate chips. Adding them when the batter is too warm will just cause them to melt throughout the batter. We want melty bits. Say it again, WE WANT MELTY BITS!

While you're letting the mixture cool, you can prepare your pan. Typically when I'm making brownies, I line the pan with foil. They're easy to lift out onto a cutting board this way. I grease the pan lightly, then flip it over. Fit a piece of foil onto the bottom of the pan. Remove the foil, keeping the shape. Flip the pan over and fit the molded foil inside. Voila! Grease the foil.

Bake until just done. There is no crying in baseball, and there's no overbaking when it comes to brownies.

Everyday Brownies
{makes 24}

3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup Dutch-process cocoa
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
4 eggs
1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325. Grease a 9x13" pan lightly. Line with foil. Grease the foil.

Melt the butter over medium-low heat in a saucepan. Once melted, stir in the sugars. Heat until hot to the touch, but not boiling. Remove from heat.

Whisk in the cocoa, salt, and baking powder. Stir the vanilla and espresso powder together. Whisk into the batter. Whisk in the eggs one at a time until well incorporated. Stir in the flour.

Let the mixture cool about 10 minutes, then stir in the chocolate chips. Immediately spread into the pan and bake for 28-30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Once cooled, use the foil to lift the brownies out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Devour.

*adapted from King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion

Save that center piece for me, please!