How to make shiny, crackly topped & fudgy brownies?

Gently melting the chocolate and butter over a double boiler, as well as using a combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar creates the perfect shiny, crackly brownies. The fudgy texture of these brownie cookies is achieved by using far more chocolate than cocoa powder. Use a high quality semi-sweet chocolate and dutch process cocoa powder.

What is the best pan to make brownies?

Not all pans are created equal when it comes to brownies. When you’re going for crispy, thick edges and chewy, gooey centers, the right pan can make all the difference. Some bakers use glass (pyrex) dishes but they have poor heat conduction and thus the brownies don’t bake evenly. Dark aluminum pans are a common choice but because the dark color of the pan absorbs more heat, it’s easy to over bake the brownies. Light color aluminum pans are my go-to for brownies. They are great heat conductors and they heat up fast and cool down quickly once removed from the oven. I use USA Pans for making brownies always.

How to store brownies?

1. If you want to use brownies over a long period, slice one piece at a time. However, if you want to use them up right away you can slice all pieces at once. 2. You can store brownies at room temperature in an air tight container covered with aluminium foil for upto 3 days or in the refrigerator for upto 5 days to last longer. 3. Frozen brownies never actually freeze all the way through and they take on an extra chewy, almost fudge-like texture when chilled that I find completely irresistible. To freeze the brownies, wrap them tightly in two layers of plastic wrap or foil and then store in a plastic bag or covered glass container. You can freeze brownies for upto 2 months. Be sure to add a date to your container.

Better Than Boxed Brownies

Description

These better than boxed brownies are so chewy and fudgy with shiny crackly tops. You wouldn’t want to stop at one slice. They are ready in just 30 minutes and are very straightforward to make.

Ingredients

Scale

56g (¼ cup) unsalted butter, cubed
60ml (¼ cup) neutral vegetable or canola oil
255g (1½ cups) dark chocolate, chopped
150g (¾ cup) granulated sugar
172g (¾ cup + 2 tablespoons) light or dark brown sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
77g (⅔ cup) all purpose flour
39g (6 tablespoons) dutch processed cocoa powder
1 teaspoon espresso powder
1 teaspoon baking powder

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC) and line a 8×8 metal baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
Melt the butter, oil and chocolate in a double boiler in a heatproof bowl on the stove. To create a double boiler, fill a saucepan with 2-3 inches of water, and place a heatproof bowl over it. The bottom of the heatproof bowl should not touch the water in the saucepan. Gently heat the water (but don’t boil or simmer) and stir continuously. Remove from stove once the butter, oil and chocolate are completely melted.
While the chocolate mixture is melting, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, thoroughly whisk together the eggs and sugar until light in color and airy in texture. Once the bowl of melted chocolate and butter is lukewarm (it should no longer be too hot to the touch), add it to the egg and sugar mixture
Sift in the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
Scrape the batter into the greased pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula.
Place the pan in the oven for 30-35 minutes and begin checking the brownies at 25 minutes. They are done when a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs attached (but not completely gooey batter) and the edges are starting to crisp up. If they start to brown more than desired, lightly cover them with an aluminium foil and continue baking.
Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes before removing them via the parchment paper. For sharp edges, cool completely before cutting with a sharp knife.
Read FAQ section for how to slice and store brownies.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Category: Brownies, Chocolate
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: better than box brownies, better than box mix brownies, easy brownies, better than boxed brownies