One pot. That is really all you need to make these rich, chocolate brownies. Coffee helps chocolate taste even better, so I've added a dash of espresso powder to the batter. Using both unsweetened chocolate and cocoa powser intensifies the flavor. Need more a little more convincing to try this recipe? It makes a large 13 x 9 inch pan of treats; the brownies freeze very well, so you can bake once and enjoy them for a few weeks; brownies are an obvious base for a decadent ice cream sundae that would be good enough to serve guests (think coffee ice cream sitting on top of a brownie, drizzled with chocolate ganache or caramel sauce).
Bake the brownies in a pan lined with parchment paper. When you are ready to slice them, lift the cooled brownies out of the pan and place on a cutting board. They will slice up beautifully into perfect little squares; you won't have to wrestle any brownies out of the corner of the pan. Try them!
Inspired by Bon Appetit
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 5 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder, optional
Preheat oven to 350. Line a 13x9 inch cake pan with parchment so that the sides of the parchment overhang the pan.
Melt butter in a large sauce pan over low heat. Chop chocolate while butter is melting; stir chopped chocolate into melted butter, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat.
Whisk flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder and espresso powder in a small bowl.
Crack eggs into a small bowl and lightly beat eggs with a fork. You can add them directly to the chocolate/butter, but I always find I'm fighting with the egg whites to get them to blend completely into the batter. Beating them first eliminates this problem.
Add sugar, eggs and vanilla to chocolate/butter and stir until blended. Add dry ingredients. Stir until incorporated, but don't overmix.
Pour all of the batter into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer.
Bake in center of oven for 30 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean but the brownies should not look dry. Cool on rack.
Use a knife to loosen the brownie from the side of the pan. Lift the whole brownie out of the pan using the parchment paper. Place on a cutting board. Slice into desired size. I make 24 brownies. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.
To freeze: Place cut brownies in a single layer on a parchement lined sheet pan. Leave a little space around each one. Freeze until solid, then toss into a zip loc bag. You can take a few out at a time. You can also freeze in a container; just leave a little space between the treats and put parchment paper between layers.
