There is no terror more thrilling than developing a recipe for an iconic baked good. The stomach-heaving plunge of a roller-coaster ride is a distant second. Like certain species of cookies, brownies bring out the psychotically opinionated in all of us. While most of us might graze placidly on whatever brownie our local cafés offer, if you tell the world you are working on a brownie recipe, you unleash everyone’s inner Paul Hollywood. So when I set out to make my ideal version of a brownie, I learned some interesting things along the way. Let’s get into it.
Butter or oil?
Butter, for sure. (This even held true in our boxed brownie taste test.) But brown butter doesn’t necessarily make a brownie better. Its toasted nutty characteristics barely show up next to all the chocolate. Using plain butter is easier. And I suspect the water content in the butter also helps achieve that optimal fudgy-yet-not-too-dense structure, dissolving marginally more sugar and activating marginally more gluten in the flour. (In this case, more gluten is actually a good thing, contributing to those coveted chewy edges.)
Cocoa or chocolate?
Both. Melted 70% bittersweet chocolate forms a fudgy base, essential for the best texture. Dutch-process cocoa powder adds pure chocolate flavor, and because it’s a dry ingredient, it reduces the amount of flour needed as a binder. Lastly, semisweet chocolate chips send it over-the-top—forming gooey pools while the brownies are warm, then once cooled, studding them with bright pops of flavor that walnuts could only dream of.
Pan preference?
Brownies should be baked in a metal pan. Compared to glass, metal transfers heat more readily and creates a more dynamic relationship between a crisp outer edge and dense inner center. It allows for a precisely controlled bake, in which the batter heats and brownie cools more quickly, setting into the state of “fudginess” that so many dessert pundits crave. Everyone wants a “fudgy” brownie, and metal helps you get there.
Do I need a scale?
Please. I am leading with weights in the ingredient list because if you don’t have a scale by now, I want you to make this recipe your excuse to get one. We’ll wait. (If you insist on measuring by volume we see you too, way in the back, and there are cup equivalents too.)
Do I need an electric mixer?
Not at all. An easy method devoid of electric mixers proved best. Just set a bowl over a simmering pot of water (basically a DIY double boiler) to achieve a glossy, crackly top: First, you’ll melt the chocolate and butter, then you’ll whisk in the sugar and eggs. While I go into many assignments hoping that the simplest method will prove best, it is nice when things actually work out that way.
