Fudgy, Gooey, 72% Chocolate Brownies_01
How about we kick off 2016 with a batch of fudgy, gooey, 72% chocolate brownies? 🙂

My little (and now taller-than-me) brother and I made these the other day from the Chocolate Obsession cookbook by Michael Recchiuti and Fran Cage. The recipe originally called for unsweetened chocolate—we had some 72% chocolate on hand so we made adjustments to chocolate, sugar and butter content. A bit of math, thanks to this handy chocolate converter website, ChocolateCrafter.com. Including this sentence, this paragraph mentions “chocolate” seven times! 😀

Full recipe after the jump!

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The texture is more fudge-like than cake-like: more fudgy if you eat them right out of the refrigerator; gooey when enjoyed at room temperature.

Michael Recchiuti Fudge Brownies
[Modified from original recipe replacing unsweetened chocolate for 72%]

INGREDIENTS
(16 brownies)

  • Vegetable spray for pan
  • 8.3 oz. 72% chocolate (we had the Pound Plus Belgian Chocolate bar from Trader Joe’s), coarsely chopped, divided into halves
  • 3.2 oz. or 6 tbsps plus 1 tsp unsalted butter
  • 3 1/3 oz. or 2/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt (we used sea salt)
  • 3 extra large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract, preferably Madagascar Bourbon (this book is one of those legit, chef-y cookbooks :D)
  • 6.5 oz. or 13 tbsps granulated cane sugar

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Line the bottom of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper and liberally coat the paper and the pan sides with flavorless vegetable oil.
  2. Put 2 1/2 ounces of the chocolate and the butter in a medium stainless-steel bowl and set over a pot of simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter melt and are fully combined and the mixture is smooth. Lift the bowl from the pot. Set aside.
  3. Sift the flour and salt together into a bowl. In another bowl, combine the eggs and vanilla extract and whisk together by hand until blended. Whisk in the sugar.
  4. Whisk the egg mixture into the chocolate. Add the flour and the remaining 2 1/2 ounces chocolate to the batter and, using a rubber spatula, mix well.
  5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Spread it evenly with a small offset spatula.
  6. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven until the top gives slightly to the touch and a skewer inserted into the center of the brownie comes out with some batter clinging to it, about 30 minutes. let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold.
  7. Run a table knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the sides of the brownie, and then slide the brownie, still on the paper, onto a work surface. Using a ruler to guide you and a sharp knife, cut into sixteen 2-inch squares. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 weeks.
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Enjoy with coffee or tea.

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Fudgy, gooey, 72%-chocolate brownies