dark chocolate brownies

8/12/2019 Dark Chocolate Brownies

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Dark Chocolate Brownies

Posted by Ree (The Pioneer Womanwebsite)

Are you a dark chocolate person or a milk chocolate person?

I have to say, Im more in the light/milk chocolate camp myself. Always have been. Oh, I love a

rich, dark chocolate bite or twobut I have to immediately wash it down with milk. Whole milk,

preferably, that has been chilled to precisely 33.9 degrees. But thats another story for anothertime.

My dad, on the other hand, has always been a dark chocolate addict. When I was growing up andmy mom would buy those little bags of miniature Hersheys candy bars, hed go straight for the

Special Dark chocolate bars no one else wanted. And I, of course, would scarf down the

Krackels. Followed by the regular Hershey Bars. Followed by the Mr. Goodbars. Then Id gowatch Gilligans island and pull all the heads off my little sisters Barbie dolls.

Over time, Ive found that theres no giftfor Christmas or birthdaythat my dad hasresponded to more passionately than a box of good dark chocolates. So when I fiddled with these

dark chocolate brownies this week, I knew Id found the treat Ill make him the next time hes

here. And hes definitely getting a box of these on Valentines Day!
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For these ultra-rich, ultra-decadent brownies, I basically adapted the regular brownie recipe that

Ive used for years. I made it in the saucepan rather than the mixer, and I added cocoa powder on

top of the baking chocolate. Then, just before putting the batter into the pan, I stirred in chocolatechips. Whew! Chocolate, chocolate everywhere. There was no escape from it! And the results

were deliciousthough I have to admit to needing a swig of milk between each bite. Tiny

squares of these brownies are more than enough, and if the idea that a little dark chocolate everyday wards off depressionthese babies could be downright medicinal.

Heres how I made them!

In a medium saucepan, add some butter and unsweetened chocolate. You can use the basicgrocery store brand or the nice, nice, gourmet brand (if you can find it). Any unsweetened

chocolate will do as long as its 5 ounces!
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Heat them over low heat, whisking every 29.7 seconds, until its all smooth and melted and

perfect.


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When its all melted, sprinkle in some cocoa powder.

Yummy!


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Stir the mixture until smooth, then remove it from the heat and let it cool off the stove for about

5 minutes or so.


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Next, to cut all this crazy, insane chocolate richness, pour in 2 cups of sugar


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And stir it until its just barely incorporated.


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Add a tablespoon of vanilla, because vanilla makes everything a little more heavenly.


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After the sugar and vanilla, the mixture should be somewhat cooler now. So add three eggs, one

at a time, stirring gently after each addition.


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Then sprinkle in flour


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And stir it until its halfway combined.


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Then, to put the nail in the coffin of the chocolatey nature of these brownies, add some SEMI-

SWEET chocolate chips. These are dark chocolate chips, which I thought would perfectly

bring out the chocolate flavor of the brownies. But in hindsight, I think I should have addedsemi-sweet. The dark chocolate was a little out of control!

But dont listen to me. I like Krackel bars.

UPDATE: I whipped up another batch of these this morning as I was making breakfast

burritos for the cowboys. They are EVEN BETTER with semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Thats definitely the way to go! The chocolate flavor is more well-rounded. Amen!


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Stir the mixture all together until its just barely combined


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Then pour it into a very well greased and floured (or sprayed with baking spray) 8 x 8 OR 9 x 13

inch cooking pan.

About the pan size: A square pan will result in thicker brownies. These look great, but sometimes

(depending on ovens, kind of pan, and astrological sign) it can be a challenge for the center to

fully bake before the edges start to brown.

A 9 x 13 inch pan will result in a thinner brownie, but the baking can be a little more even.

Either one is finejust keep an eye on it while its baking!


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Smooth out the top


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Then bake it at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes if using a square pan, a little less if using a

rectangular pan.


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Now, the hardest part is letting them cool. Ironically, even though brownies are notoriously

delicious warm, Ive found that they really turn out better when you allow them to cool

completely and settle down before eating them. You can always nuke them later if you want todo an ice cream sundae or something. (Oh, that sounds awfully good right now.)

They should come right out of the pan (you might need to run a knife along the edges)


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Then you can sprinkle away with powdered sugar!


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A little goes a long, long way so I decided to cut them into small-ish squares.


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Even these might be a little too big for how rich the suckers are!


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Ahhhh. A glorious sight!


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Ahhhh. A glorious bite!


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If you love chocolate, and Imean rich, rich, rich dark chocolate, you will love these!


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(Pssst. How delicious wouldthey be with coffee ice cream? Wow!)

Heres the handy dandy printable.

Recipe

Dark Chocolate Brownies

Prep Time:

15 MinutesCook Time:


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45 Minutes

Difficulty:

EasyServings:

16

Ingredients

1 cup Butter

5 ounces, weight Unsweetened Chocolate 1/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

2 cups Sugar

1 Tablespoon Vanilla

3 whole Large Eggs

1-1/4 cup Flour

3/4 cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Powdered Sugar, For Sifting

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium-large saucepan, melt the butter with the unsweetened chocolate over low heat,whisking occasionally until smooth and melted. Sprinkle in cocoa powder and whisk to combine.

Remove the pan from heat and allow to cool for about 5 minutes.

Stir in sugar and vanilla until just combined.

One at a time, stir in the eggs.

Gently stir in the flour until halfway incorporated. Add the chocolate chips and stir just until

combined.

Pour batter (it will be very thick!) into a greased 8 x 8 or 9 x 13 baking pan. (Square pan willresult in thicker brownies.) Spread to even out the top and place in the oven.

Bake for 40 minutes, then check the brownies with a toothpick. If it is overly gooey/messy,

return to the oven for 5 to 10 more minutes. (Just be careful not to burn the edges.)


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Allow to cool completely (important!), then sprinkle with powdered sugar and cut into small

squares. The brownies are very rich!

*Note: When warm the brownies will seem overly gooey/soft. As they cool, they will firm up.

(Brownies are best several hours after baking, or even the next day!)

dark chocolate brownies

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