Chocolate Brownies Recipe

Brownies have so much going for them; great flavor, easy to make, and so versatile.
The simplest brownies are made with just melted chocolate, butter, sugar, eggs,
vanilla, and flour. Delicious, of course, but you can also take a brownie to the next
level by adding a layer of frosting. And that is what we do with these Chocolate
Brownies. We start with a brownie that has a deep chocolate flavor and a dense
fudge-like texture and top it with a smooth and glossy Ganache frosting. This
transforms it into a dessert so good that I am not sure whether we should call it a
square or a candy.

Brownies can be made with cocoa powder, semi sweet chocolate, or unsweetened
chocolate. Each will make a brownie with its own unique flavor and texture. These
Chocolate Brownies use unsweetened chocolate which gives them an intense
chocolate flavor as unsweetened chocolate is chocolate in its rawest form and is just
ground cocoa nibs that have been refined and contain between 50-55% cocoa butter
(cocao fat). They are very similar to the Katherine Hepburn Brownies only they
contain more flour and double the amount of unsweetened chocolate which gives
them a more fudge-like texture and an even stronger chocolate flavor. Again, as with
most brownies, they are simply made using one bowl and are done when a toothpick
inserted into the center comes out with has just a few moist crumbs. Once the
brownies have completely cooled, they are frosted with a Ganache frosting. Ganache
is a mixture of cream, butter, and semi sweet chocolate and is wonderfully smooth
and creamy with a glossy texture. I like to store these brownies in the refrigerator
which makes them all the more fudgy. Serve them cold or at room temperature.

Chocolate Brownies:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) and place rack in center of
oven. Butter, or spray with a non stick vegetable spray, an 8 inch (20 cm) square
baking pan.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a large stainless steel bowl placed over a saucepan
of simmering water. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar. Next, whisk in the
vanilla extract and eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Finally, stir in
the flour and salt.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about25 minutes, or until a toothpick
inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Remove from oven and
let cool on a wire rack.

Chocolate Ganache:

Melt the chopped chocolate, cream, and butter in a stainless steel bowl placed over
a saucepan of simmering water. Remove from heat and let cool to room
temperature and then spread the ganache over the brownies. I like to store these
brownies in the refrigerator. They can also be frozen.

Makes 16 brownies.
Chocolate Brownies:

4 ounces (120 grams) unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs

3/4 cup (95 grams) all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

Chocolate Ganache:

3 ounces (90 grams) semi sweet chocolate, chopped

1/3 cup (80 ml) heavy whipping cream (double cream) (35% butterfat)

1 tablespoon (14 grams) unsalted butter