overview
It’s a covid Valentines this year and maybe you haven’t been able to be with your significant other during these super tough times but that doesn’t mean you cant whip something up for them and drop it off like you are the sexiest delivery driver out there! Nothing says “I love you” or “I miss you” or “You complete me” better than a nice gooey batch of brownies! Let’s roll up those sleeves bust out the whisks and get to baking!
Brownie Baking Basics
But first, a few quick notes about brownie basics. As always, the perfect recipe will be dependent on your (or your loved one’s) preferences: do you prefer a cakey, gooey, or chewy brownie? The basic brownie recipe will be the same: sugar, flour, cocoa, eggs, butter, salt, and vanilla; but you can adjust the fat and flour ratios to change it to your ideal texture. Don’t forget to customize your treat with extra fillings or flavors – like nuts, candies, or even adding coffee or mint!
- Don’t overmix your ingredients as it will stiffen your brownies.
- Pan size will effect the thickness of your brownie and the bake time. Keep that in mind if you’re using a different pan size from the recipe exactly. If you increase the area, the same amount of batter will be shallower, so decrease the baking time and raise the temperature. If you decrease the area of the bottom of the pan, the batter will be deeper and the center will be underdone at the original time and temperature, so lower the temperature and increase the baking time. Brownies will cook more quickly in metal pans than in glass.
- Test for doneness before the recipe says. It’s better to pull it out earlier than too late, and nothing is worse than an overcooked dry brownie. Brownies are done when the center is set and you see the top just begin to crack.
- Depending on your preference, you may want to hold out and wait for the brownies to cool. Letting them cool makes them gooier and fudgier and they’ll be less likely to crumble when you slice them. For those who want more of the melty lava cake and prefer a warm brownie, just go for it. Life’s too short!
Super Gooey and Chocolatey Brownies
For a smaller portion good for a few people, we’ve halved the original recipe and you can add whatever extras you prefer. Original recipe: foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/cocoa-brownies-recipe-2085484
Ingredients
- Oil or softened butter to grease the pan
- Parchment paper or flour, for dusting the buttered pan
- 4 ounces melted butter
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 Cup Sugar
- 1/2 Brown Sugar
- 5/8 Cups Cocoa
- 1/2 Cup Flour
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
Guide
- Preheat the oven to 300F. We set our oven to convection which sets the temp at 275F. Grease and prepare your pan. We used an 8.5×4″ nonstick pan. Remember to compensate if you’re using a different size or material pan!
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs until fluffy and light yellow.
- Sift in both sugars, mix to combine.
- Add in vanilla, salt, and butter.
- Sift in cocoa and flour and mix just enough to combine, don’t overmix.
- Pour the batter into prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes. Check for doneness with a cake tester or toothpick. You want the top set and the stick to come out almost clean. Some folks like to wait until the stick comes out completely clean, but we like it a little gooier and prefer not to risk overbaking. When it’s ready, remove to a rack to cool.
- Allow it to mostly cool before cutting so it doesn’t crumble too much, which can ruin your presentation. If it’s just for you, then have at it whenever!
whisk large eggs until fluffy and light sift in white and brown sugar Add in salt, vanilla extracts, and melted butter sift in flour sift in cocoa final brownie mix 
Alton Brown, Good Eats: Brownies
Tools Used To Make This Dish*
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- Whisk
- Scale
- Mixing Bowl
- Towels
- Cooling Rack
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Silicone Spatulas
- Cake Tester
- 1-Pound Non-Stick Loaf Pan (same size, Calaphon version not available)
Camera Gear List*
- Sony A7III
- Sony A7rIII
- Sony SEL2470GM Lens
- Sony SEL90M28G FE 90mm f/2.8-22
- Deity V-Mic D3
- Audio-Technica AT4040 Cardioid Condenser Microphone
- Blue Compass Premium Tube-Style Broadcast Boom Arm
- Sirui ET Series Tripod
- White Balance Card
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