Ok, so you know how once I made that comment about how I have yet to find a brownie recipe as good as the boxed kind? Well, here it is. I’m thrilled. It seems like any “from scratch” brownie recipe I’ve made turns out with a thick, sugary crust on the top (yes, even Dorie’s recipes have turned out that way for me) that I always end up picking off – and it makes for a rather unsightly brownie. This recipe is perfect because you melt the sugar and butter together, thus giving you a paper-thin crust on top – which is what you want with a brownie. Yay!!
Let me just tell you – these brownies blew me away…rocked my socks off…made me wanna slap my mama (as Jess would say). They were GOOD. I took it a step further by adding a drop of peppermint extract and threw in some Andes mint chips along with the chocolate chips. Mmmm MMM! I have an undying love for all things mint/chocolate and these brownies are my new go-to “mint-chocolate-craving” recipe! I’ll probably use this brownie recipe for the rest of my life, too!
Fudgy. Chewy. Chocolatey. Minty. Need I go on? Do yourself a big favor and make these brownies TODAY!
Guaranteed Fudge Brownies
-King Arthur Flour (this is a great website with tons of recipes- check it out!)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cups Dutch-process cocoa (regular cocoa is fine too)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon espresso powder, optional
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
2 cups chocolate chips
*I added about 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract, 1/2 cup Andes mint chips and used half of the amount of chocolate chips called for
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9″ x 13″ pan
In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, or in a saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter, then add the sugar and stir to combine. Return the mixture to the heat (or microwave) briefly, just until it’s hot (about 110°F to 120°F), but not bubbling; it’ll become shiny looking as you stir it. Heating this mixture a second time will dissolve more of the sugar, which will yield a shiny top crust on your brownies.
While the sugar heats a second time, crack the 4 eggs into a bowl, and beat them with the cocoa, salt, baking powder, espresso powder, and vanilla till smooth. Add the hot butter/sugar mixture, stirring until smooth.
Add the flour and chips, again stirring until smooth. Note: If you want the chips to remain intact in the baked brownies, rather than melting in, let the batter cool in the bowl for about 20 minutes before stirring in the chips.
Spoon the batter into a lightly greased 9″ x 13″ pan. Bake the brownies for about 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. The brownies should feel set on the edges, and the center should look very moist, but not uncooked. Remove them from the oven and cool on a rack before cutting and serving.
* I actually got the idea to make these from a fellow food blogger, but I don’t remember who. If you see this, please let me know who you are so I can give you credit! 🙂
These look yummy! There’s not much better than a good brownie 🙂
[Reply]
Comment by Erin — March 25, 2009 @ 11:33 AM
It’s amazing how hard it is to find a good brownie recipe. I’ll have to give this one a try!
[Reply]
Comment by NikkiG — March 25, 2009 @ 2:29 PM
So good you wanna slap your momma, huh?? Sounds like these might be better than mine! 😉
[Reply]
Comment by Hornedfroggy of My Baking Heart — March 25, 2009 @ 3:25 PM
Love your addition of mint to these! I agree – the KA site is great.
[Reply]
Comment by Kerstin — March 25, 2009 @ 4:41 PM
These look delicious! I love the paper thin crust on top of my brownies too. Can’t wait to try this out!
[Reply]
Comment by Lindsey — March 26, 2009 @ 3:46 AM
Oh my, those look amazing! I love trying brownie recipes so I’m definitely going to make these. Great idea with the peppermint extract and mint chips!
[Reply]
Comment by Tracey — March 26, 2009 @ 7:50 AM
These may just push me to try a new brownie recipe! I’ve made Barefoot Contessa’s recipe for years and I never dare to try anything different, but these may be worth the dare!
M
[Reply]
Comment by Marta — March 26, 2009 @ 8:15 AM
Those do look fudgey and moist and crumbly and perfectly delicious BUT they’re going to have to compete with <a href="http://chewonthatblog.com/2008/02/25/step-by-step-best-chocolate-brownies/">these</a>.
[Reply]
Comment by Hillary — March 26, 2009 @ 12:25 PM
I love the Hershey’s brownies, but you have convinced me to give these a try!
[Reply]
Comment by Melissa — March 26, 2009 @ 5:24 PM
Oooh, brownies are my favorite. I was/am also of the opinion that box brownies are better than scratch. These might be worth trying… I’d love to find a scratch recipe I like.
Nice job!
[Reply]
Comment by Jacque — March 26, 2009 @ 6:17 PM
Those look FANTASTIC. I LOVE BROWNIES. ANd I know I would love those. uuuummmmmm!!!!
[Reply]
Comment by Margaret — March 26, 2009 @ 7:26 PM
Wow – Now I have to try your version! I made some using Peppermint Patties a couple of weeks ago, which were amazing – but this recipe sounds great! (and interchangeable with other flavors, too!)
[Reply]
Comment by Susan — March 27, 2009 @ 8:09 AM
Made a batch of these this afternoon, and they were a hit with the entire family and some friends. Thanks for the recipe!
[Reply]
Comment by Chris — March 29, 2009 @ 6:51 PM
woww… I’m trying to bake brownies… for the 1st time. Since am not good at baking, I’m quite confused between chewy and cakey brownies. Which is which it supposed to me… originally? 🙂 I’m going to try out your version soon.
[Reply]
Comment by pixen — April 1, 2009 @ 12:12 PM
pixen: As far as chewy vs. cakey – the choice is totally yours! I think originally, they’re supposed to be more cakey (maybe…I could be wrong!), but nowadays it all depends on personal preference – if you like fudgy, chewy brownies, this recipe is perfect. Good luck!
[Reply]
Comment by Amy — April 1, 2009 @ 1:14 PM
Sorry but i was disappointed..it was good but it didnt turned out to have flaky top like the photo you posted..
[Reply]
Comment by anne palabyab — April 3, 2009 @ 7:01 PM
Anne: sorry these didn’t work out for you. You won’t get that thin crust on top if your sugar isn’t completely dissolved into the butter. Maybe stick to the boxed kind from now on…..
[Reply]
Comment by Amy — April 3, 2009 @ 7:24 PM
hello amy thanks for that advice..yes maybe the sugar wasnt completely dissolves..i’ll try again..i heard that using chocolate blocks either unsweetened or bittersweet will give you flaky top..anyway, i’m not giving up..thanks..
[Reply]
Comment by anne p — April 3, 2009 @ 8:06 PM
Hi Amy, I just stumbled across your fun blog. So cute! I am making these brownies. They look like perfect boxed brownies but from scratch. That is awesome! btw, I just made the banana cream pie . . . posting it on Tuesday! So friggin good, thanks for choosing! XOXO
[Reply]
Comment by Sugar B — April 5, 2009 @ 2:01 PM
YUM!!! These are awesome!! I put half of the chips in the batter and the other half on top of the brownies. I also did half of the recipe. Thanks for posting this recipe!
[Reply]
Comment by Memoria — April 7, 2009 @ 2:06 PM
I also made these as a dessert to follow your delicious lasagna rolls. Heaven! They really do taste like the boxed kind. This is now my official favorite brownie recipe! Thanks so much.
[Reply]
amy Reply:
December 7th, 2009 at 1:22 PM
That’s great, Lizzy! I’m so glad you enjoyed these recipes so much – and thank you for letting me know how they turned out! Happy Holidays!
-Amy
[Reply]
Comment by Lizzy — December 7, 2009 @ 5:06 AM
I just baked these, but mine doesnt form nice crust. I guess i didnt melt the sugar properly 😛
[Reply]
Comment by Simonne — May 12, 2010 @ 4:15 AM
Simonne- sometimes you have to keep microwaving the sugar mixture together many times over to get it properly melted- it can take some time. Mine had to keep going back in the microwave several times before I got it right. Sorry you didn’t get the crust on top- hopefully they still tasted great, though!
-Amy
[Reply]
Comment by amy — May 12, 2010 @ 10:01 AM
Hi, I made these and they were very good but not the best ever – the inner consistency was good but not amazing. However, they were better the second day and even better the third day! Warming the butter to dissolve the sugar certainly helped for the flaky/shiny crust though – so thanks for that tip! You can click on our names below to link to our favorite brownie recipes – which will be much improved now that I know about the sugar-melting technique!
Thanks,
Julie
[Reply]
Comment by Julie and Caroline — July 5, 2010 @ 12:09 PM
I’m a huge fan of this recipe, too! I’ve served them up with peanut butter frosting, German chocolate frosting, and cream cheese frosting, and used them as the basis for Peanut butter cup crunch brownies. Always a huge win!
[Reply]
Comment by lauramich — June 25, 2011 @ 4:43 PM
This design is spectacular! You definitely know how to keep a reader entertained. Between your wit and your videos, I was almost moved to start my own blog (well, almost…HaHa!) Excellent job. I really loved what you had to say, and more than that, how you presented it. Too cool!
[Reply]
Comment by Sharan Dible — March 25, 2012 @ 5:16 PM
Just made these brownies (half the recipe) and eureka — a thin flaky crust formed! I have been trying for the last 6 months to find a recipe that could do this; all I ever got were cakey brownies, no matter what I did. I thought it was my oven, but the sugar melting technique proved to be the answer. Thanks. I’d better make the double recipe next time, because I don’t think these will last the night with my kids!
[Reply]
amy Reply:
June 6th, 2012 at 8:48 PM
So happy to hear it!
[Reply]
Comment by Marcy — June 5, 2012 @ 3:38 PM
Just wondering, before I make these, are the chocolate chips necessary? Or is the amount of cocoa sufficient enough for that chocolately fudgy texture? Or would taking out the chocolate chips have to be subbed for more cocoa powder?
[Reply]
amy Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 10:22 PM
So sorry I’m just now seeing your comment! 🙁
No, in my opinion, the chips aren’t absolutely necessary. They add more richness and “gooeyness” but you definitely don’t have to have them.
[Reply]
Comment by Ana — July 7, 2012 @ 12:51 AM
Ugh! I can’t make brownies. No matter what recipe I use I some now manage to make the brownies cake brownies; I never can make the chewy brownies with the flaky crust I dream of, Help!
[Reply]
amy Reply:
January 25th, 2014 at 4:54 PM
Hmm, that’s weird. These were super fudgy and chewy for me. Maybe you’re baking them too long? You’re not substituting any ingredients are you?
[Reply]
Lisa Reply:
March 19th, 2014 at 5:23 PM
No,I baked them for 24 minutes, and used all of your ingredients. 🙁 I don’t know what wrong with your recipe.
[Reply]
Comment by Sarah — January 25, 2014 @ 2:58 PM
“Awesomeness” !
I tried this recipe this afternoon and turned out to be a huge hit. Super fudgy and chewy and at the same time, has a nice thin crust on top. #Dreamcometrue
Thanks a lot, Amy 🙂
PS: I used powdered sugar, and the process of melting was quite fast. Also I waited for this mixture to cool down, to make sure my eggs don’t get scrambled when added to this.
[Reply]
amy Reply:
March 2nd, 2014 at 10:24 AM
What a great idea- I’ll have to try using powdered sugar next time!
[Reply]
Comment by Sara — March 2, 2014 @ 2:29 AM
I made this yesterday and i must admit that this recipe is a winner. One thing is i was having trouble dissolving the sugar. I dont have a microwave so i melt the butter using au bain marie. Took a long time and still the sugar wont dissolve. I tried whisking them but they get all gritty. I dont know what went wrong. I live in indonesia, the sugar here has different texture than yours, will it work if i mix the sugar and egg instead? It’s easier that way. And they are sweeter. So i had to reduce the sugar to 1 cup. Thanx for sharing this recipe 🙂
[Reply]
amy Reply:
August 26th, 2014 at 6:54 PM
Sounds like the butter/sugar wasn’t getting hot enough. But you can definitely whisk it with the eggs- that’ll work too.
[Reply]
Comment by sophie — August 23, 2014 @ 4:54 PM
A coworker brought these in last month, and they were great. She actually made key substitutes since she was out of butter and eggs.
She used canola oil for butter, mashed bananas for eggs, and Splenda for sugar.
They were delicious, now I need to figure out how to make those substitutions correctly so I can start making my own since I need to cut down on the amount of cholesterol and sugar in my diet.
[Reply]
amy Reply:
January 26th, 2015 at 9:58 PM
Great ideas! I’ve never really played around with healthy substitutions (although I probably should!). I hope you find the right formula!
[Reply]
Comment by Ricardo — January 26, 2015 @ 2:40 PM
Your recipe is awesome! The brownies turned out gooey and chewy it’s crazy! A little sweet for me but not a problem since i will be making them with less sugar the next time! Been trying to make enough money for brownie classes that cost a bomb. Now no classes needed! Thnks again!
[Reply]
Comment by hawa fuzi — March 9, 2015 @ 4:52 AM
Ya lo estoy haciendo al brownie pero es tan líquido que se me baja por la placa del molde, espero que salga bien la receta me gusto mucho pero tengo miedo de que no me guste
[Reply]
Comment by ludmi — May 1, 2015 @ 4:07 PM
How long do you need to cook the sugar and the butter together? I didn’t cook them long enough and the sugar didn’t melt properly and you could feel some of the sugar crystals while eating them. I cooked the sugar and butter on low heat. Thank you for the recipe by the way. Tasted quite good.
[Reply]
amy Reply:
August 28th, 2015 at 5:00 PM
Sorry for the delay! It can take awhile for the sugar to melt. On low heat, it could take anywhere from 5-15 minutes. Just remember to keep stirring. And it’s not the end of the world if the sugar doesn’t completely dissolve- I’ve been short on time before and only cooked it for about 5 minutes and they still turned out great.
[Reply]
Comment by Anaan Ramay — August 6, 2015 @ 9:37 AM
BIG brownie crust discovery posted on our blog! You can actually achieve a Shiny brownie crust on ANY recipe. With so many experiments and science I’ve figured it out completely. I’ve made 13000 brownies, trust me… Here is everything you need to know! http://philosophyofyum.com/shiny-brownie-crust-everything-you-need-to-know/
[Reply]
Comment by Philosophy of Yum — August 26, 2015 @ 4:22 AM
Hi!
I was able to put up the crust the first time I did this recipe. Followed everything and every measurement to the dot but. The taste was excellent BUT it was not fudgy. Mine turned out to be thick and dry and dense. Also, the top is not flat, its curved.
I tried it the second time, the sugar was melted better than the first, I baked it for 27 minutes instead of 30, but this one was worse, no crust. The taste is still the same but no crust and still dry despite of it being under cooked. Any suggestions?
[Reply]
Comment by Marlon — December 5, 2015 @ 4:49 PM
I am going to try these is m so excited
[Reply]
Comment by Dakota — May 25, 2016 @ 8:26 PM
Great items from you, man. I’ve bear in mind your stuff prkor to and you’re just too great.
I actually like what you’ve acquired here, certainly
like what you’re stating and the best way wherein you are saying it.
You make it enjoyable and you continue to care for to stay it smart.
I cant wait to read much more from you. That is really a great
site.
[Reply]
Comment by Johnette — November 28, 2018 @ 2:18 AM