Easy Chocolate Brownies from Scratch
I got this chocolate brownie recipe years ago from my dear friend Suzanne, who had adapted it from an Alice Medrich recipe from the book Bittersweet: Recipes and Tales from a Life in Chocolate she found on Epicurious. Suzanne uses the same method and proportions, but instead of using vanilla, she flavors the brownies strongly with almond extract. So good! The almond extract gives these brownies a wonderful flavor, a perfect blend with the cocoa and pecans.
A Dense, Fudgy Brownie
They are the kind of brownie that can’t make up their mind whether they would rather be cake or fudge. They’re quite dense and fudge-like, but have just enough flour and eggs to keep them in the brownie camp. To tell if these brownies are done, you want the end of the skewer or toothpick to come out a little moist, but not dripping with batter. When you take the pan out of the oven, make sure they cool completely before slicing. They need time to set up, or they’ll fall apart when you cut them. If you love extra-fudgy brownies, try this trick from chocolate maven Alice Medrich: pop the pan into the freezer right after it comes out of the oven. The freezer “shocks” the brownies so they stop cooking and stay fudgy. Remove them after about an hour. Bonus: this makes them a to easier to cut.
Storing and Freezing Brownies
To store the brownies on the countertop, keep them in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. If they aren’t eaten by then you can store them in the refrigerator for another 3 to 4 days, or you can store them in the refrigerator immediately for up to 1 week. To freeze the brownies, put cut brownies - unwrapped - on a baking sheet and put them in the freezer until just frozen through. Wrap the frozen brownies individually in plastic wrap and then store them together in an airtight zip top bag in the freezer for up to three months. Brownies can be defrosted one at a time in the refrigerator or the countertop.
More Brownie Recipes To Try
Fudgy Chocolate Brownies Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies Caramel Brownies Guinness Chocolate Brownies Brookies (Chocolate Chip Brownie Cookies)
Line the bottom of an 8-inch square baking pan with foil or parchment paper in such a way as there is an overhang on two opposite sides to make it easy to lift the brownies out when they’re done. Stir the butter cocoa mixture until the butter has melted and the mixture is smooth and hot to touch. Remove the bowl from the skillet and let it cool down a bit, from hot to warm. Once the batter is well mixed, shiny, and thick, stir in the flour. Beat for 40 strokes with a wooden spoon. Mix in the pecans until distributed throughout the batter.
