Decadent Dark Chocolate Brownie Recipe

I’m a firm believer that, when it comes to chocolate cravings, brownies beat chocolate cake any day of the week. When you’re looking for satisfaction, there is nothing better than a decadent brownie to satisfy your sweet tooth. In contrast, I’m thoroughly convinced that chocolate cake is just a vehicle to get icing into my mouth. Prove me wrong.

When baking brownies, I use three tricks to make them as decadent as possible. First, I use real chocolate and not just cocoa powder (you can read about the differences here). Second, I allow the brownies to finish baking outside the oven so they stay moist (dry brownies are sad brownies). Finally, I add unsweetened baker’s chocolate to ensure that sugar doesn’t overpower the recipe. Cloying sweetness can easily ruin a good dessert.

 My ingredients for decadent dark chocolate brownies:

• 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ tsp salt
• 1 cup salted butter
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 1 packed cup brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped nuts
• 8oz semi-sweet chocolate (rough chopped)*
• 4oz unsweetened chocolate (finely chopped)**

*Note: Do not substitute chocolate chips or pre-packaged chocolate chunks. Using rough-chopped chocolate is key (you want the chunks to vary in size quite a bit). You’re even going to incorporate the chocolate “dust” that is produced while chopping. The dust and smaller chunks will melt to produce a decadent batter, while the larger chunks will remain intact.

**Since unsweetened chocolate can be bitter, ensure the chunks are no larger than a pencil eraser.

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F and line a 9×9 square pan with parchment paper. If you use a larger pan, the brownies will bake too quickly and become dry.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. Melt the butter in a large pot over low heat. When selecting your pot, keep in mind that this is where you will be combining your ingredients.
4. Turn off the stovetop and remove the pot from the element.
5. Stir in the cocoa powder. Then, blend in the sugars, eggs, and vanilla.
6. Add the dry mixture to the wet, then fold in the chocolate and nuts. Stir until evenly combined.
7. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes. Although the centre may still seem underbaked it will continue to cook outside the oven. Do not return to the oven unless the centre is truly liquid.
8. Allow the brownies to cool completely before cutting into them. Although the temptation of gooey warm brownies is hard to resist, the melted in chocolate in these will cause the brownies to cave in if prematurely cut.

These brownies are great on their own but if you want something more substantial, try serving them with lightly sweetened whipped cream and fruit. Homemade raspberry coulis is also an option with lends a refreshing element to an otherwise decadent dessert.

Looking for more chocolate? Check out my recipe for Cloud Nine Brownies.