Classic Fudgy Brownies from Lisa Yockelson

Classic Fudge Brownies - made December 2, 2023 from Brownies & Blondies by Lisa Yockelson 

3/4 cup unsifted all-purpose flour

3/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon unsifted cake flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

18 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons

6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, roughly chopped

2 cups granulated sugar

4 extra large eggs

2 extra large egg yolks

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with foil and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking power and salt; set aside.
3. In the top half of a double boiler over hot water, combine butter and unsweetened chocolate, whisking until completely melted and smooth. Remove from heat.
4. Add sugar to melted butter-chocolate mixture and beat to combine. Add eggs and yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition until just combined. Beat in vanilla extract.
5. Add dry ingredients in two additions, mixing until just combined.
6. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth into an even layer. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely before cutting and serving.

As you can tell from the pictures, this time around I was using up M&Ms from my leftover Halloween candy stash. I could've probably added more M&Ms on top to use them up but before baking, they seemed like plenty. Next time, I'll need to use a more generous hand.

I prefer adding M&Ms on top of brownies instead of inside cookies. M&M cookies always seem a little too sweet to me, no matter the cookie, because of the sweetness from the candy shell.

On top of fudgy chocolate brownies, M&Ms work well as the brownie is chocolatey rather than sweet so the M&Ms add a nice sweetness and crunch.

I've mentioned in previous posts that Lisa Yockelson is the queen of brownie recipes. She has multiple baking books and a wide variety of brownie recipes. Admittedly, I'm not sure I could tell too many of them apart in a blind taste test and what ingredients make them (slightly) different from each other. But I can tell they're all good. Delicious, fudgy with a firm but soft texture that isn't too mushy. This was easily one of those and the thick brownie batter supported the M&Ms on top quite nicely.

If you want an easy brownie recipe so you can serve warm brownies while unwrapping Christmas presents, this one fits the bill. Merry Christmas (Eve)!