Diary of a Chef · Just Chefn Around

Fudgy Brownies

30 minutes · 4 servings

By Diary of a Chef

Ingredients

• 10 tbsp butter
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 large eggs, cold
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate

Instructions

1. 1Melt the base

   Butter, sugar, cocoa, salt in the saucepan over low, stirring. It will look grainy and thick, like wet sand — correct. Remove when hot to the touch but not bubbling.

2. 2Cool briefly

   Warm, not hot — hot batter scrambles eggs.

3. 3Eggs and vanilla

   One at a time, stirring hard after each. The batter transforms: grainy → thick, glossy, pulling like brownie batter should.

4. 4Flour

   Stir just until it disappears, then 20 strong strokes — this small beat builds the shiny crackle top. Fold in chocolate.

5. 5Bake

   Spread evenly into a 350°F oven. Done when the top is set and papery-shiny, the edges pull slightly from the pan, and a toothpick in the CENTER comes out with moist fudgy crumbs — not clean. Clean toothpick = overbaked (~22–25 minutes).

6. 6Cool completely in the pan

   Fudgy brownies set as they cool; cutting hot makes mush. Lift by the sling, slice with a hot dry knife.