Classic Fudgey Brownies

Tall.

Dark.

Delicious.

Hello, my precious 🙂

I’ve been baking for as long as I can remember. It started with simple chocolate and vanilla cakes with my grandmoms, whisking with a fork or a small little whisk,  barely reaching the kitchen counter and not being allowed near the oven 🙂 As I grew older and time became scarce, I moved to boxed mixes for whenever I felt like a chocolate cake fix (Yes, it happened. I went over to the dark side). But these occasions were rare and life took over.

About four years ago, I started living alone to be closer to work. I used to cook myself dinner almost everyday and while I rediscovered my love for cooking, I also rekindled my love for baking. Bought myself a tiny OTG and voila! I was researching recipes, buying ingredients, baking almost every week. My friends at work were a very happy lot 🙂 I have moved cities since then, but the baking love affair continues. Now, along with office friends, the husband and my friends in the city also get fed dessert on a fairly regular basis.

One thing I’ve always been wary of trying is brownies. Because they can go so wrong – too cakey, too dry, too sweet, too greasy – you name it. But, I love brownies. I mean, who doesn’t? They are the best bite sized pick-me-ups ever! EVER! My favourite kinds are the ones that are dense and fudgey in the middle, flaky on top and with a slight crumb. YUMMMMMMMMM!! They are the best thing when you need some sugar love, even a half does the trick. Thought let’s be real, I have never eaten just a half.

 

Brownies are so versatile too. Can be had plain, just slightly warmed up. As accompaniment to coffee (teen years spent at many Baristas this way). With some vanilla ice cream, it just brings back memories of my standard dessert order at restaurants when I was a child.

I was determined to be able to make my favourite store-bought brownies at home. It took a couple of tries, some reading up on the science behind it and now I think I have these classic brownies ready to share 🙂

Just look at that!

The fudginess of the brownie comes from the butter and the chocolate. So decadent and rich! The trick to the crinkly top is to ensure that you beat the sugar and eggs really well at the start, before adding anything else. It’s magic! There is no leavener in this recipe, since brownies don’t need to rise (unlike cakes) and the objective is to ensure they are tall but dense in the middle, without the crumb and rise we love in cakes. I am not a fan of overly sweet brownies, so I use a dark chocolate and less sugar. But, depending on your preference you use a sweeter chocolate or add some more sugar. Another trick a friend shared with me, is to bake the brownies in an alumnium/metal pan. This helps to cook faster and without burning the sides. Glass takes a little longer and the edges tend to burn in silicone pans.

Try these out. I promise they will make you super happy 🙂