Recipes

When the weather gets cooler (or at least the calendar says it should), it’s my signal to turn on the oven and start churning out breads, cookies and pies.

What better way to warm up than with these insanely delicious chocolate brownies fresh from the oven? This recipe is from The Art & Soul of Baking from the Sur La Table cookbook series and caters to all experience levels, with helpful tips and step-by-step photos to ensure perfect results.

Although this recipe requires a double-boiler, I used a large bowl on top of a sauce pan (see image in gallery) and found it works just as well.

This quick and simple one-bowl dish is sure to satisfy your deepest chocolate cravings.

As for the sweetspot.ca taste test? From the mouth of one sweetspotter: "These decadent and delicious brownies take the crown."

Kitchen tips:

• The higher percentage of cacao, the less sweet your brownies will be.
• For recipes that showcase the chocolate (such as this one), splurge and buy the best chocolate you can.

Classic Fudgy Brownies

Makes 16 (2-inch) brownies

Ingredients:

1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
4 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (up to 64 percent cacao), finely chopped
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
½ cup (2 ½ ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
½ cup (about 3 ¾ ounces) chocolate chips or chocolate chunks (optional)
½ cup (2 ounces) chopped nuts, toasted and cooled completely (optional)

Equipment:

8-inch square cake pan, parchment paper, double boiler, silicone or rubber spatula, whisk, cooling rack, thin knife or flexible spatula, chef’s knife

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F and position an oven rack in the center. Line the pan with foil or parchment paper across the bottom and up two of the sides, then lightly coat with unflavored oil or high-heat canola-oil spray.
2. Bring 2 inches of water to a boil in the bottom of a double boiler. Place the butter, semisweet chocolate, and unsweetened chocolate in the top of the double boiler (off the heat). Turn off the heat, then set the butter and chocolate over the steaming water. Stir occasionally with the spatula until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
3. Remove the chocolate mixture from the heat and whisk in the sugar. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, stirring well to incorporate each before adding the next. Stir in the vanilla extract. Whisk in the flour and salt. Continue to stir until the mixture changes from dull and broken-looking to smooth and shiny, about 1 minute. Whisk in the chocolate chips and chopped nuts, if using.
4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it (do not over-bake). Transfer to a rack and cool completely.
5. Run a thin knife or flexible spatula around the edges of the pan to loosen the brownies. To remove the brownies from the pan, grasp the foil or parchment paper extending up the sides and gently pull upward. Set the brownies on a cutting surface and use a chef’s knife to cut into 16 equal pieces. Since these are dense, it’s a good idea to keep a hot, wrung-out towel nearby so you can wipe the knife clean between slices.

Storing tip: Tightly wrap the remaining brownies in plastic or place in an airtight container. They will keep well at room temperature for two to three days, or in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Click to enlarge photos below.