Chocolate Brownies
Fudgy, dense, glossy-topped chocolate brownies. The middle should be slightly underdone - set but still gooey; the edges should pull away from the tin. The crackly top is from sugar dissolved fully into the batter; whisk the eggs and sugar long enough to thicken before folding in everything else.
Overview
Dark chocolate and butter melt over a bain-marie. Eggs and sugar whisk together until pale and ribbony, this gives the crackly top. The melted chocolate folds in, then a small amount of flour and cocoa, and chocolate chunks. Bake until the centre wobbles slightly; cool fully (or you'll get fudge soup).
Ingredients
- 250 g unsalted butter
- 250 g dark chocolate (70%, broken into pieces)
- 4 eggs (large)
- 350 g caster sugar
- 100 g plain flour
- 50 g cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt
- 100 g dark chocolate chunks (extra; for the bites of melted chocolate throughout)
Method
Stage 1 - Melt
- Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan).
- Line a 23 x 23 cm baking tin with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides for lifting.
- Combine the butter and dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely-simmering water.
- Stir until melted and smooth; cool slightly.
Stage 2 - Whisk eggs and sugar
- In another bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar with an electric mixer for 4-5 minutes until pale, thick and ribboning (the mixture should hold a trail when the whisk is lifted).
- (This is what creates the crackly top; don't shortcut it.)
Stage 3 - Combine
- Pour the melted chocolate-butter into the eggs; fold gently with a spatula.
- Stir in the vanilla.
- Sift in the flour and cocoa; fold gently until just combined (don't overwork).
- Stir in the chocolate chunks and salt.
Stage 4 - Bake
- Pour into the lined tin; smooth the top.
- Bake for 22-25 minutes; the top should be glossy and crackly, the edges set, the centre still wobbling slightly when nudged.
- (A skewer in the centre should come out with thick fudgy crumbs - not clean.)
Stage 5 - Cool fully
- Cool completely in the tin (at least 2 hours; overnight is better).
- Lift out using the overhang; cut into 16 squares with a hot knife (dipped in hot water and wiped between cuts) for clean edges.
Notes
- Underbake: Brownies set as they cool. A skewer-clean brownie out of the oven is dry by the time it's cold. Pull when the centre wobbles.
- Whisk eggs and sugar properly: 4-5 minutes is non-negotiable for the crackly top. Less and the surface looks dull.
- Cool fully before cutting: Cutting warm gives ragged edges and crumbling. Overnight rest gives the best texture; same-day cool to room temperature is the minimum.
Storage
- Keeps 4 days in an airtight tin (the texture deepens day by day).
- Freezes 3 months wrapped tightly.
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