New Classic Brownies

I'm sure this is obvious to most bakers, but do not use a glass pan if you don't have a metal one. This tired mom did just that and CRACK, SHATTER! went my dish as soon as it hit the ice bath. Oops!

I've made this recipe for years. Substituting 1/4-1/2 cup of the sugar with brown sugar adds extra flavor, and I second sprinkling sea salt on top. A tablesspoon or so of bourbon or espresso is also great to add. Finally, the quality of the chocolate used makes a big difference!

If you have unsweetened cocoa powder and corn oil (or some other tasteless oil) in the house, you have unsweetened (i.e. baking) chocolate. The conversion is 3 tablespoons cocoa + 1 tablespoon oil = one square of baking chocolate. Been using it for almost 40 years and it works like a charm. I use Dutch process.

For unsweetened chocolate, Scharffen Berger is by far the richest and most complex-tasting. TJ's Pound Plus bars are outstanding, and their cocoa powder is miraculous. But they're not my source for unsweetened. I buy Scharffen Berger online from Chocosphere.

(I've taste-tested them all—I lecture about chocolate!)

Scrapped my go-to brownie recipe as soon as I tried this one! Increased walnuts to 1 cup the second time I made them and they were perfect. Also, for cooks who do not have easy access to abundant ice or wish to avoid the ice water bath for other reasons, I find that putting the brownies in the freezer uncovered for 30 minutes right after taking them out of the oven works just as well.

Use one of those aluminum "to go" pans as an insert and remove it and put it in the ice bath.

A very nice, fudge-y brownie. I make this, without nuts, and topped with a little Maldon salt before baking.

I have been making brownies for probably 60 years, and I think this is the best recipe I have ever made. Thanks!

Only need 1 c. sugar tops. Too sweet.

I could have sworn I did not overbake , but when I pulled from bath the edges were rock solid. ( made in my new ws gold pan) . Once I cut edges off -- the brownies were dense; very moist and rich -- cut into smaller pieces for a party dessert table. People raved (but then I think most are so used to box mixes they have no idea what a scratch brownie tastes like , !- ).

Love these. I further intensified the flavor with a teaspoon of ground espresso and a cup of bittersweet chocolate chips. They are the only brownies I have ever eaten on the second day.

My grandmother's brownie recipe is very similar, although she used 3 eggs. Recently, I've been adding a couple of tablespoons of cocoa powder with the flour. I like the intensity of flavor it adds.

The flavor is further enhanced because I use only Valrhona cocoa. It is far and away the best cocoa on the market.

Except for the water bath, this is my mom's brownie recipe that I've been making for over 50 years. I add an extra half ounce of chocolate, either baker's chocolate, or cocoa in the melted butter. Never fails.

8 T. Butter = 113.6g

Also, I used Nielsen Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract plus one tablespoon of very strong coffee. I used a 8x8 "to go" pan which I sprayed with Pam for Baking and floured the pan...removed any excess flour. I sprinkled fleur de sel before baking. With all these substitutions and additions, it came out amazing! I cannot express enough to use quality ingredients. They really do make a BIG difference! Hope this has been helpful.