Chocolatey Chocolate Brownies

5 from 10 votes

Decadently rich brownies from the Queen of chocolate, Alice Medrich, with a little warming spice, for the best brownies you'll ever make.

Prep Time15

Cook Time55

Total Time1 10

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Any

Keyword: chocolate brownies

Servings:

Calories: 155.8kcal

Author: Susan Pridmore

Equipment

Ingredients

10 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 ¼ sticks)
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
¾ cups plus 2 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder either natural or Dutch-process cocoa
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
½ cup all-purpose flour (2.5 ounces if weighing)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides.
Pour enough water into a skillet to float a heat-proof mixing bowl. Heat the water to barely a simmer.
Slice the butter into tablespoon pieces, and combine with the sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and cardamom in a mixing bowl. Set the bowl on the hot water. It needs to float, and not touch the bottom of the skillet. If it does, add more water.
Stir from time to time, using a rubber spatula, until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth and hot enough that you want to remove your finger fairly quickly after dipping it in to test.
Note: The mixture will still be granular as the sugar will not be dissolved.
Remove the bowl from the skillet and set aside briefly until the mixture is only warm, not hot. Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. The batter will look thick, shiny, and well blended.
Add the flour and stir with a spatula until it's completely absorbed into the chocolate, and then beat with a wooden spoon vigorously for 40 strokes.
Spread evenly in the lined baking dish. Bake until a toothpick plunged into the center emerges slightly moist with batter, 40 to 50 minutes.
Cool for 10 minutes on a rack. Next, lift up the ends of the foil liner, and using a knife, gently nudge the foil from the sides of the brownies. Allow to completely cool on a rack.
Transfer the brownies to a cutting board. Cut into 16 or 25 squares.

Nutrition