Brownies have certainly become an obsession for me. It all started with my recent obsession with dark chocolate that came to show me that over the years, I’m getting a taste for flavors I never thought I’d enjoy this much.
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If there is one recipe that exposes the flavor of chocolate to the fullest, it’s brownies, because in one bite they concentrate an intense chocolate flavor and melt in your mouth with their soft, moist texture. These brownies with brown butter are especially delicious because the brown butter gives them a somewhat nutty aroma and the dark chocolate a very sophisticated flavor.
There are few secrets to turn regular brownies into spectacular brownies, but I think the most important one is to use Dutch cocoa powder, which gives the brownies a darker color and a more bitter taste than regular cocoa powder. Another great secret is to use chocolate chunks and not just cocoa, because it makes the brownies much more moist.
I can say that these brown butter brownies are the best I have made to date. They are a little crispy on the outside but very soft on the inside, they are sweet but just enough as to not be too much and they are extremely chocolatey. These brownies are everything a great brownie should be.
A very important issue when making brownies is to cut them correctly, so that you are left with perfectly square pieces and nearly no crumbs leftover. The stepsto achieve this are simple but essential:
- The first thing is to use a completely square pan, with 90 degree angled corners for perfect squares.
- The next step is to place baking paper or parchment paper (not aluminum foil) inside the pan so that the brownies do not stick to the pan. It is vital to place the paper so that it covers the entire pan and also comes up on the sides, as this will make it easier to turn them out without them falling apart.
- It is essential to wait until the brownies have completely cooled down prior to turning them out and cutting them. A good tip is to cut them until roght before serving, since the more they are exposed to the air, the drier they will get on the edges and their texture will change. So to keep them moist, cut them until you need to.
- To cut the brownies cleanly, use an approximately 20 cm long straight-edged knife rather than a serrated or plastic knife.
- A key step is to clean the knife between each cut. The knife should be dipped in hot water preferably and then wiped with a clean cloth or kitchen paper. This prevents any crumbs from staining the edges of the brownies.
- The brownies can be cut by eye or you can use a ruler to measure each cut so that they are perfectly even. It is important to cut up and down on each slice and not drag the knife out.
I know my brownie obsession doesn’t end here, so if you are a chocolate fan like me, expect new recipes that you are going to love. If you like this recipe, go check out our classic brownies!
Brown butter brownies
Ingredients
- 3/4 C (6 oz) (170 gr) unsalted butter, cut into big chunks
- 1/2 C (1.50 oz) (42 gr) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp instant coffee (soluble in water)
- (6 oz) (170 gr) semi sweet or dark chocolate cut into small pieces
- 3 tbsp (1.52 fl oz) (45 ml) vegetable oil, soft flavored (corn or sunflower)
- 3 eggs, big
- 3/4 C (5.30 oz) (150 gr) brown sugar
- 1/2 C (3.50 oz) (100 gr) white sugar
- 1 tsp (0.17 fl oz) (5 ml) vanilla extract
- 3/4 C (3.42 oz) (97 gr) all purpouse flour
- 1/2 tsp (0.08 oz) (2.5 gr) salt
- 1 C (6 oz) (170 gr) semisweet or dark chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 356º F (180° C). Grease with butter and line a square pan of about 8.70 inches (22 cm) wide with parchment paper. Also, in a small bowl, sift the flour with the salt.
- Place the butter in a small frying pan and bring it to medium-low heat, this is essential for the butter to brown evenly. Cook the butter for 10-15 minutes, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of the pan every 15 seconds to prevent burning. At first, the butter will melt and foam, then the foam bubbles will become smaller and the butter will begin to give off a nutty aroma. Continue to cook the butter until it begins to color and you see small floating brown bits on the surface (these are the milk solids in the butter that separate and toast). Once the butter is browned, remove it from the heat.
- To the same pan with the butter, add the cocoa powder, instant coffee, dark chocolate chunks and oil. Mix with the same spatula until the chocolate melts and all the ingredients are perfectly integrated. Let this mixture stand until completely cooled.
- In a large bowl, add the eggs with the two types of sugar, and the vanilla extract and beat with an electric mixer or a hand whisk for 2-3 minutes until a light, fluffy and lighter colored mixture is obtained.
- Carefully add the chocolate mixture (which should no longer be hot) to the bowl with the egg mixture and beat for 30 seconds more.
- Finally, add the flour mixture with the chocolate chips and incorporate with the rubber spatula until smooth and free of lumps.
- Pour the mixture into the pan and spread it with the rubber spatula to make it even. Bake the brownies at 356º F (180° C) for about 30 minutes until they are firm around the edges but when a toothpick or knife is inserted in the middle, it still comes out with a little brownie batter.
- Once the brownies are ready, take them out of the oven, let them rest for 20 minutes inside the pan and then turn them out and place them on a rack to cool down completely before cutting. When cool, cut into 16 equal portions.
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