Perfect Brownies

I love me some brownies. I love them fudgy and rich. Anything else just doesn't pass muster with me.

I have tried several different brownie recipes, but I found a winner in the Baked brownie. You can find recipes for it all over the internet (like here and here and here and here). This recipe was developed for a bakery called Baked NYC. It is lauded as Oprah's favorite. America's Test Kitchen backs it, too. ATK is king in the kitchen, so I really couldn't ignore this recipe. 

These brownies are perfect. Seriously. I did take a few liberties with the recipe, but the overall brownie is the same. The changes are minor, but they make the process a little more foolproof. The change in ingredients is reflective of the pantry items I usually have on hand, which means I can make brownies whenever I have the craving!

Try it my way, or try the original. You won't be disappointed.

Perfect Brownies 
Adapted from Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito and Baked: New Frontiers in Baking 
and the Internet
Brought to you by Sara (stuff-by-sara.blogspot.com)

1¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
2 or 3 oz Baker’s unsweetened chocolate, chopped (alter to suit your taste)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1½ cups granulated sugar
½ cup packed light brown sugar
5 eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the sides and bottom of a 9x13-inch glass or light-colored baking pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and cocoa powder together.

Place butter in a bowl (metal or glass) and set it over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, chop up unsweetened chocolate. When the butter is almost all melted, add the chocolate chips and chopped chocolate. Stir gently until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. Remove from heat and add the sugars. Whisk until completely combined. Cool the mixture to room temperature. . 

In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add vanilla. Add half of the egg mixture to the chocolate mixture and fold in. Add remaining eggs/vanilla to the chocolate mixture and gently stir until combined. Do not overbeat the batter at this stage or your brownies will be cakey.

Sprinkle the flour mixture over the chocolate mixture. Using a rubber spatula (not a whisk), fold the flour mixture into the chocolate until just a bit of the flour mixture is visible. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake in the center of the oven for 30-35 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs sticking to it. Let the brownies cool completely. Cut into squares and serve. 

Store at room temperature in an airtight container or wrap with plastic wrap for up to 3 days.

Enjoy!