Brownies Recipe

Preheat and prepare pan

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

If using nuts, roughly chop and set aside. Measure out chocolate chips or extra chocolate for sprinkling.

Double boiler method

Place chopped semi-sweet chocolate and cubed unsalted butter in a heatproof bowl set over (not touching) a pot of barely simmering water. Stir gently and constantly until fully melted and smooth, about 5–8 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and let cool 3–5 minutes until warm but not hot.

Microwave method (alternate)

Combine chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on 50% power in 20–30 second bursts, stirring between bursts, until melted and smooth. Let cool slightly.

Combine sugar and eggs

Place granulated sugar in a mixing bowl. Add eggs one at a time, whisking or beating after each addition until glossy and combined. Stir in vanilla extract.

Add melted chocolate

Slowly pour the melted chocolate-butter mixture into the sugar-egg mixture while stirring or folding gently until incorporated and uniform in color.

Dry ingredients

Sift together all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, kosher salt and espresso powder into a bowl. Fold the dry mixture into the wet batter in two additions, folding just until no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix; batter will be thick and fudgy.

Fold in optional mix-ins (chopped nuts or chocolate chips) if using, reserving a small handful to sprinkle on top.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Sprinkle reserved chocolate chips and/or nuts over the surface and lightly press them into the batter. Optionally sprinkle a few flakes of sea salt.

Bake in the preheated oven for 22–28 minutes. Start checking at 20 minutes: the edges should be set and slightly pulling away from the pan; the center should look set but still soft and a toothpick inserted in the center will come out with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter). For fudgier brownies bake to the shorter end; for cakier texture, bake a bit longer.

Remove pan from oven and place on a wire rack. Let brownies cool completely in the pan for at least 1 hour to set the interior (or 30 minutes for slightly warm brownies). Use the parchment overhang to lift the brownies from the pan and transfer to a cutting board.

Cut into 9 or 12 squares using a sharp knife wiped between cuts for clean edges. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days or refrigerate up to 7 days. Rewarm briefly in microwave or oven before serving if desired.