Good Ol' Fudgy Brownies

Good Ol' Fudgy Brownies - made November 4, 2017 from Deep Dark Chocolate by Sara Perry

I borrowed this baking book from the library long ago and typed up a few recipes from it that I wanted to try. The original recipe called for using "dark chocolate" to melt for the batter. I wasn't sure if that meant bittersweet chocolate like a Valrhona 90% or if it meant unsweetened chocolate. I went with the bittersweet chocolate since I was also using Pernigotti dark unsweetened cocoa powder and I thought that would pack enough chocolate punch.

This year, for Halloween, I bought a Costco-box of full-size chocolate bars. The good stuff like Snickers, Milky Ways, Twix, peanut M&Ms and plain M&Ms. I was going to be the good neighbor in my neighborhood this year. Except, like all the other nights for the past month or so, I worked so late that by the time I got home, I missed all the trick or treaters in my neighborhood. Seriously, even the teens had called it a night. Bummer.

So I was left with all this candy. As I've done in past years, I chopped up the Snickers bars and included them as add-ins to the brownie. This really was a "good ol' fudgy" brownie. It was a trifle sweet to me though so the author might've meant unsweetened chocolate after all. That's what I recommend making it with to cut the sweetness, especially if you're adding leftover Halloween candy to it.

5 ounces premium dark chocolate, chopped (I think this should be unsweetened chocolate)

½ cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup granulated sugar

Pinch of salt

2 large eggs, room temperature

½ cup all-purpose flour

1.     Preheat the oven to 350⁰F. Line an 8 x 8” baking pan with foil and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray.

2.     Place the chocolate and butter in a medium heatproof bowl and set over a pan of hot water over medium-low heat.  Stir until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in the cocoa powder, sugar and salt. Whisk in the eggs and stir in the flour just until blended.

3.     Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.  Bake until a tester inserted near the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, about 30-35 minutes. Do not overbake.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.