Did you know that the chocolate in brownies brings more than just rich flavor? It also determines the texture. Brownies made with cocoa powder will be chewier, while those made with melted chocolate will be fudgier. With this recipe, I use both ingredients for just the right balance of chewy and fudgy, plus chocolate chips to scatter little nuggets of chocolate throughout.
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Triple Chocolate Saucepan Brownies
Author: Kathy Strahs, The 8x8 Cookbook (Burnt Cheese Press, 2015)
Serves: 16 brownies
Ingredients
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon coarse salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 325°F. Line an 8x8-inch glass or baking dish with parchment. Alternatively, for a metal baking pan, heat the oven to 350°F and prepare the pan in the same manner.
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the sugar and stir until well combined and shiny. Remove the pan from the heat.
- In a small microwave-safe bowl, heat the chocolate in the microwave at 50% power in 30 second increments, stirring after each heating, until it’s fully melted (alternatively, you can melt the chocolate in a double-boiler on the stove). Pour the melted chocolate into the sugar mixture. Stir in the cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and vanilla. Beat in each egg, one at a time. Mix in the flour, chocolate chips, and nuts until combined, reserving a small handful of chips and nuts to sprinkle on top before baking.
- Spread the batter into the prepared dish or pan, and scatter the reserved chocolate chips and nuts over the top. Bake until the brownies are set in the middle, 25 to 28 minutes*. Cool completely before cutting.
Notes
* Unlike with cakes, you're not looking for the brownies to cook through completely in the middle—that will mean a dry brownie. Instead, you want it to be just set. Err on the side of gooey!