Seriously Fudgy Brownies, and My 300th Post

It's been quite a week for me. This week:

I celebrated my 2nd blogiversary;
It was my week to pick the recipe for Tuesdays with Dorie (see what I picked here);
French Fridays with Dorie made the first recipe from Around My French Table, gougeres;
This is my 300th post, and
I finally made these brownies.

If you noticed the clouds parting, the sun breaking through and the birds chirping, these brownies are likely the reason. You're welcome.

I found the recipe on the back of the double-Dutch dark cocoa I recently ordered from King Arthur Flour and it's one of those one bowl, throw everything in and stir recipes that are perfect for busy nights. I made them before work Friday and they couldn't be easier. They resulted in absolute rapture among my co-workers. I cynically thought they wouldn't be this good. The expresso powder smelled like it overpowered the cocoa. They are a very chewy, almost wet, brownie. There is a high ratio of sugar. More eggs than I usually see in brownie recipes. Etc.

But no, these were brownie perfection. The edges cook up crunchy from all that sugar. The middle is very fudgy with no perception of flour to break up the chocolaty flavor. I put the nuts on top so they brown and are a counterpoint to the chocolate flavor. I like the punch of chocolate offset with a crunchy nut. I added semisweet chocolate chips to contrast with the deep cocoa flavor.

I don't know how much the double-Dutch dark cocoa had to do with how great these are but I bet  a lot. I plan to make these again soon. And often.

Notes:

• I would use a parchment sling next time to make removal from the pan and cutting easier (it may seem like more work but it's worth it);
• Allow to cool completely and sit out for a few hours before serving. It's hard to do, but they'll taste so much better;
• Don't be tempted to cook them until they test done. They won't, and you'll be stuck with overdone brownies. That would be a crying shame. I'm tearing up just thinking about it.

Seriously Fudgy Brownies - (adapted from King Arthur Flour)

Printer-friendly recipe

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 cups sugar

1 cup powdered sugar 

1 1/3 cup Dutch cocoa (preferably King Arthur Flour double-Dutch dark cocoa)

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons espresso powder

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

6 eggs

1/4 cup water

1 cup canola oil
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13x9 inch pan cooking spray or line with parchment paper to form a sling. If pan is completely lined with the parchment paper, there is no need to use cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugars, cocoa, salt and espresso powder. Stir in the chocolate chips. Add the eggs, water and canola and stir with a spatula until combined. Spread batter evenly in the pan and sprinkle over the nuts if using. Place in the center of the preheated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, until brownies just start to pull away from the sides of the pan. Cool completely in the pan on a rack. If using parchment, pull the brownies out of the pan using the ends of the sling. Remove the parchment paper and slice into squares.