The Greatest Brownies Ever
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Yield: one 9-inch square pan brownies
 
Adapted from Baking with Julia aka Velvet brownies because the soft, fudgy interior is REALLY as soft as velvet!
ingredients:
  • 1¼ cups sifted all-purpose flour — measure after sifting
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 8 ounces unsalted butter
  • 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 2 cups sugar (divided use)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 4 large eggs
directions:
  1. Line a 9-inch square pan with foil or parchment paper Bottom and up the sides, making sure you have some overlapping over the sides of the pan to use as handles to lift the whole square of brownies out once baked. . Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
  2. Stir the sifted flour and salt together in a small bowl; set aside.
  3. Melt the butter over medium-low heat in a small saucepan. When melted, reduce heat to low and add chopped chocolate, stirring often until completely melted. Add 1 cup of the sugar to the butter-chocolate mixture and stir for about a minute. Remove pan from heat and pour into a mixing bowl. Stir in the vanilla.
  4. Whisk the remaining 1 cup sugar and the 4 eggs in a second bowl – only until combined – do NOT over-whisk. Gradually pour half of the sugar-egg mixture into the bowl with the chocolate mixture, stirring quickly so that eggs don’t cook/scramble from the heat of the chocolate mixture.
  5. Using a hand or stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the remaining sugar-egg mixture on high speed until it turns light in color, thick and doubles in volume - about 3 to 4 minutes.
  6. Carefully fold the beaten egg-sugar mixture into the chocolate, sugar, egg mixture. When everything is almost completely incorporated, gently fold in the dry ingredients. I like to sift the dry ingredients over the mixture, then fold.
  7. Scrape the batter into the lined 9-inch square pan and bake on the middle rack for 25 to 28 minutes. They will rise and the top will turn shiny.
  8. Cut into the center of the brownies after 22-23 minutes to see how they are baking. They should be barely set and gooey, which means you're on the right track. In fact - you can take them out now, since they will set up more while cooling, OR continue to bake another 2 to 5 minutes until a little more set. A matter of preference.
  9. Let the brownies cool for 10 minutes..then lift them out of the pan using the edges of the foil or parchment paper, Cool completely on a wire rack, then cut into squares and enjoy!
Recipe by parsley sage sweet at https://parsleysagesweet.com/2009/12/23/one-no-two-macarons-december-cookie-baking-and-my-fear-of-the-tripod/