Desserts Recipe

Prepare oven and pan

Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Line an 8x8-inch (20x20 cm) square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides for easy removal; lightly butter the exposed pan edges.

Melt chocolate and butter

Place the chopped bittersweet chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a gently simmering saucepan of water (double boiler), stirring occasionally until fully melted and smooth. Alternatively, microwave in 20-30 second bursts at 50% power, stirring between bursts until melted. Remove from heat and let cool for 3–5 minutes.

Combine sugar and eggs

Whisk the granulated sugar into the slightly cooled chocolate-butter mixture until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking vigorously after each addition until smooth and glossy. Stir in the vanilla extract.

Add dry ingredients

Sift together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, and fine salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the chocolate mixture with a rubber spatula just until no streaks of flour remain. If using nuts, fold them in now.

Bake

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 22–28 minutes, or until the edges are set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter). Rotate the pan halfway through baking for even browning.

Cool and slice

Allow the brownies to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack (about 1–1.5 hours) to set. Use the parchment overhang to lift the brownies from the pan, transfer to a cutting board, and slice into 9 or 12 squares with a sharp knife, wiping the knife between cuts for clean edges.

Chill a mixing bowl and beaters in the refrigerator for 10–15 minutes. Pour the cold heavy cream into the chilled bowl. Add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract. Whip on medium-high speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form, 2–3 minutes. Do not overwhip. Dollop or pipe the whipped cream onto brownies just before serving.