Tag: chocolate

Fudgy, super-thick, decadent brownies.
4 easy variations to the batter base to suit every craving + mood. 

There are days when only baking (and more truthfully, devouring) a slab of warm, chocolatey goodness will set things right again.

Combined with a fit of mercurial indecision and a wild burst of energy, these days yield FOUR pans of brownies (and very happy neighbors).

Ingredients

• 18 oz (3 cups) chocolate chunks, divided
• 2 sticks butter
• 1-1/4 cups white sugar
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2/3 cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
2. Melt the butter and pour over 2 cups of the chocolate chunks, the white sugar, and the brown sugar. Mix until combined.
3. Add the eggs to the mixture one at a time, mixing after each addition.
4. Add the vanilla.
5. Mix together the dry ingredients separately, then add to wet mixture. Don’t over mix!
6. Incorporate the remaining chocolate chunks (1 cup).
7. Spread into a buttered 9×13 pan. Top with additions if desired (see notes below).
8. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until center is set. Do not use the toothpick test – it will result in overdone, dry brownies!

Cheesecake Brownies

• 1 (8 oz) pack cream cheese
• 1/3  cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup flour

Mix cheesecake batter from ingredients above. Swirl into the brownie batter in the pan, dragging a knife through the mixture for a marbled design. Bake.

Salted Caramel Brownies

• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 stick (6 tbsp) butter
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 tsp salt

Heat sugar on medium heat in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. As the sugar begins to melt, stir vigorously with a whisk or wooden spoon. Boil until a nice golden color is achieved, but be careful not to burn. Slowly add the butter, then drizzle in the heavy cream- slowly because the mixture can splatter like hot oil.  Remove the sauce from the heat and mix in the salt. Either top the raw brownie batter with the sauce then bake, or drizzle on brownies afterwards. The former will yield brownies with a baked in caramel flavor; the latter are messier but will retain the consistency of the sauce on top.

S’mores Brownies

• 1 cup coarsely crushed graham crackers
• 2 cups marshmallows

Sprinkle marshmallows and graham cracker pieces over brownies halfway through baking time (after about 15 minutes), returning to oven for remainder of baking time.

Alternately, spread half of batter in pan, top with graham crackers and marshmallows, then remaining brownie batter. Bake as normal.