Fudgy Brownies

These brownies are the ultimate chocolate lover's dessert! Deeply rich in flavor, with the help of the espresso powder (which intensifies the chocolate taste), you will not be left disappointed! Before this point, I used to make brownies from a box, but I wanted to try something from scratch that didn't require a lot of work.

So on the Saturday before Easter we decided to try out this new recipe for ultimate brownies, which my mom discovered online. They are absolutely the best brownies I've ever made, however, the original recipe requires 2 teaspoons of salt, which in our opinion, overpowered the sweetness of the brownies a little bit too much. So we slightly modified the original recipe, and halved the salt, which makes all the difference.

Also, what makes these brownies particularly unique is the baking. After about 20 minutes in the oven, you'll need to take the pan out, and on a flat surface, lightly drop the pan once or twice, which will flatten the batter but will result in a fudgier and more dense brownie. Then, place the brownies in the oven again for another 20 minutes to finish baking. Remove them from the oven, let them rest a little bit, then cut them into even squares.

These brownies are gooey, chocolatey, and rich! Once you make them from scratch, you won't go back to the boxed version. . . I promise!

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FUDGY BROWNIES

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ sticks unsalted butter, plus more for greasing

• 8 ounce good-quality semisweet chocolate, 60-70 % cacao

• ¾ cup (90 gm) unsweetened dutch process cocoa powder, divided

• 1 tablespoon espresso powder (I use Medaglia D'oro)

• 2 cups granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 6 large eggs

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• Sea salt, for sprinkling

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9"x13"metal pan (we used 12"x12"pan, which resulted in thinner brownies) with butter, then line with parchment paper, leaving overhang on all sides.

2. Combine the chocolate, ¼ cup (30 g) of cocoa powder, and espresso powder in a heatproof medium bowl and set aside.

3. Add the butter to a small saucepan over medium heat and cook until the butter just comes to a simmer, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour the hot butter over the chocolate mixture and let sit for 2 minutes. Whisk until the chocolate is completely smooth and melted, set aside.

4. Combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, salt, and eggs in a large bowl. Beat with an electric hand mixer on high speed until light and fluffy, about 10 minutes. It will be similar to the texture of very thick pancake batter.

5. With the mixer on, pour in the slightly cooled chocolate/butter mixture and blend until smooth. Sift in the flour and remaining cocoa powder and gently fold into the egg mixture until just combined (do not over-mix).

6. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake until lightly puffed on top, about 20 minutes.

7. Remove the pan from the oven using oven mitts, then lightly drop the pan on a flat surface 1-2 times until the brownies deflate slightly. Sprinkle with sea salt. Return the pan to the oven and bake until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the brownies comes out fudgy but the edges look cooked through, about 20 minutes more.

8. The center of the brownies will seem under-baked, but the brownies will continue to set as they cool. Set the brownies on a cooling rack and cool completely in the pan. Cut into 24 even squares.

(Recipe adapted from Tasty.com)