Miss Confection

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Fudgy Chocolate Brownies

Dense, chewy, deeply chocolatey squares with a crackly paper-thin top

Prep
15 min
Cook
28 min
Total
1 hr 43 min
Yield
16 brownies
Level
Easy
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The story

The brownie is one of America's great contributions to the dessert table. Chicago's Palmer House Hotel is credited with creating the first in 1893, but the brownie as home bakers know it took shape in the early 1900s. The 1906 edition of Fannie Farmer's Boston Cooking-School Cook Book included a chocolate brownie recipe, and Maria Willett Howard's Lowney's Cook Book of 1907 offered a richer version called Bangor Brownies. From there, brownies spread into every bake sale and lunchbox in the country.

Bakers have argued ever since over fudgy versus cakey. Fudgy brownies use more fat and chocolate and less flour, giving them a dense, almost truffle-like middle. Melting real chocolate with butter, then adding cocoa for depth, gives the best of both worlds, and beating the sugar well with the eggs creates that coveted crackly, shiny top.

This is a one-bowl recipe with no mixer required, which makes it a wonderful one to bake with kids. Let them stir, crack the eggs and lick the spatula, then wait, if you can, for the brownies to cool before cutting.

Tips for success

  • Whisking the eggs and sugar vigorously is what creates the glossy, crackly top.
  • Err on the side of underbaking; brownies keep cooking as they cool.
  • For the cleanest squares, chill the cooled brownies for 30 minutes and cut with a hot, dry knife.
  • Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or freeze for 3 months.

Fudgy Chocolate Brownies

The best fudgy brownies recipe: rich melted chocolate, cocoa and butter make dense, chewy brownies with a shiny, crackly top. Easy, one-bowl and perfect for baking with kids.

Prep
15 min
Cook
28 min
Total
1 hr 43 min
Yield
16 brownies
Calories
~230/serving

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Heat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8x8-inch (20 cm) baking pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on two sides.
  2. Melt the butter and chopped chocolate together in a large heatproof bowl over barely simmering water, or in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring until smooth.
  3. Whisk in the sugar until combined. The mixture will look slightly grainy.
  4. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking vigorously for about 30 seconds after each, until the batter is thick, glossy and pulls away from the bowl. Whisk in the vanilla and salt.
  5. Sift the flour and cocoa over the batter and fold with a spatula until no streaks remain. Fold in the chocolate chips if using.
  6. Scrape the batter into the pan, smooth the top and sprinkle with flaky salt if you like.
  7. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is shiny and crackly and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist, fudgy crumbs.
  8. Cool the brownies completely in the pan, at least 1 hour, then lift them out and cut into 16 squares.

Tools we use

Recipe from Miss Confection · https://missconfection.com/recipe/fudgy-chocolate-brownies

Questions, answered

What makes brownies fudgy instead of cakey?

A higher ratio of butter and chocolate to flour, no added leavening and a slightly underbaked center make brownies fudgy.

How do you get a shiny crackly top on brownies?

Dissolve the sugar well by whisking it into the warm chocolate, then beat the eggs in vigorously to create a thin meringue-like layer on top.

How do you know when brownies are done?

A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with moist crumbs but no wet batter, and the top should look set and crackly.

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