The best brownies in the world
Everyone with a brownie recipe in the known world and beyond claims theirs is The Best Ever. We’ve been making this version for decades now and stake our reputations on it actually being the best. The exact origins are a bit sketchy, long lost in the sands of time and dogged-eared cookbooks. It was possibly adapted from a recipe by Emily Luchetti, a James Beard-awarded pastry chef who baked at vaunted San Francisco restaurant Stars, back in the day. (Like, WAY back in the day). Luchetti penned several books, her baking was absolutely ripper, and we had some fave cakes of hers on constant rotation. We suspect these were originally hers – we’d love to think we are clever enough to build a unique brownie completely from scratch but that’s not how this stuff works. Most baking recipes are reworks of tweaks of adaptations and they all start somewhere. The trick is remembering where.
Super rich and chocolate-y, we’re yet to meet anyone who doesn’t love these brownies. Sometimes we bake them with raisins instead of walnuts, or use pecans if we’re feeling particularly Americana. Speaking of which, brownies originated in the States, probably in the late 19th century. Likely due to a baker forgetting to add baking powder to a chocolate cake. (Remember the Flourless Chocolate Cake origin story? Similar deal.) We’ve delved into the Fannie Farmer connection previously, and how the rise in availability of baking cocoa and chocolate made brownie-baking more accessible to home cooks.
There are a few schools of preference when it comes to the brownies… some like fudgy ones, where the texture is like these ones; rich and dense. Other swear by cakier brownies, which are lighter and fluffier, similar to cake. We don’t understand the point of these really. Just eat chocolate cake? Then there are ‘chewy’ brownies, which strike a balance between fudgy and cakey and have a satisfying bite. Instead of nuts, some feature swirls of cream cheese, caramel, or peanut butter. Whichever way you swing, a great brownie should have a deep, gutsy chocolate flavour, the perfect balance of sweetness and slight bitterness, the right texture (whichever way you like them) and probably make you feel slightly queasy if you eat too many. Many bakers consider a ‘crackly top’ – that glossy, paper-thin crust that forms during baking –a the crucial hallmark of a great brownie. Ours should have a cracky top; proper whisking of the egg and sugar mixture will achieve it. If you want to slice your brownies neatly, make sure they are fridge-cold and use a large, heavy knife. It helps to dip it in really hot water and dry it off between slices so you get neat edges. ;But if you don’t care, just hack them up as soon as they’re cool from the oven and be prepared for a bit of carnage. No matter; a thick dredge of icing sugar covers the worst.
We usually make double this recipe; it’s easy to scale. Why? Making a big batch is no more work and, as these brownies freeze really well, it’s handy to have some floating around for whenever that urge hits
MAKES 16
185g unsalted butter, chopped
100g dark chocolate (at least 62%), broken
2 tsp vanilla extract
110g (¾ cup) plain flour
30g (¼ cup) dark cocoa (we used Avalanche)
1/2 tsp salt
330g (1½ cups) caster sugar
3 extra-large eggs
125g (1 cup) chopped walnuts
Preheat the oven to 170˚C. Lightly grease and flour a 30 x 16cm baking dish and line the base with baking paper.
Combine the butter and chocolate in a bowl large enough to fit snugly in a saucepan half-filled with simmering water. Sit the bowl in the pan, making sure the base doesn’t touch the water. Heat until the chocolate and butter are melted. Remove the bowl, stir until the mixture is smooth, then cool slightly. Stir in the vanilla.
Sift the flour, cocoa and salt into a bowl and set aside.
Meanwhile, using electric beaters, whisk the sugar and eggs in a large bowl at high speed for 6-8 minutes or until very thick and pale. Reduce the speed to slow, then slowly add the cooled butter mixture, whisking until combined. Using a large metal spoon, stir in the sifted flour mixture, then add the walnuts and stir well. Pour into the baking dish, then bake for 30-35 minutes or until a little puffed and a firm crust has formed on the surface.
Cool the brownies in the dish, then refrigerate for 1-2 hours or overnight. Carefully remove from the dish, then cut into pieces.
