Brownies

I have never been a brownie lover, but these, I could not keep my hands off of. In our household, brownies are one of the few things that we do NOT homemake. We have tried countless recipes of brownies that just continued to disappoint us. So naturally I was very weary to try this recipe from Sarabeth's Bakery:From my hands to yours cook book. Turned out that I found a winner. 

These brownies are so rich and fudgey that they will be sure to satisfy your craving for chocolate! They were very moist and dense, unlike the other homemade brownies that I have tried. The trick to these brownies are to refrigerate them overnight before you eat them. The reason for this is because it allows them a chance to set. The chocolate chips that you put in this recipe also have a chance to harden back up and leave a nice chocolate surprise. Personally, I think that most desserts like this are meant to be eaten chilled. I think that it brings out the flavor much more nicely.

Brownies

Makes 1 dozen brownies

Adapted from Sarabeths Bakery:from my hands to yours

for the brownies:

1 1/4 cup flour

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. fine sea salt

8 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate 

(no more than 62 percent cacao), finely chopped

8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into squares

1/3 cup plus 1 Tbs. hot water

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup superfine sugar

1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups (8 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips

-Make the brownies at least one day prior to serving to get the best taste and texture. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 9 x 13 inch rimmed baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. 

-Sift the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together into a medium bowl, and set aside. Bring 1 inch of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan over low heat. Combine the chopped chocolate, butter, and the 1/3 cup plus 1 Tbs. hot water in a wide, heatproof bowl. Place over the simmering water in the saucepan, stirring often, until the chocolate and butter are melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat and let stand, stirring occasionally, until tepid. 

-Beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of a heavy duty stand mixer, fitting with the whisk attachment, until the eggs have tripled in size, about 3 minutes. Change to the paddle attachment and add the cooled chocolate, mixing on low speed until just combined. Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl in between. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula.

-Spread the batter in the prepared baking pan and bake until a toothpick come out with a moist crumb. This should take about 25 minutes. Do not over-bake or they will become dry. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely in the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night. 

-The next day run a knife around the edges of the pan. Place a cutting board over the pan and invert the pan and cutting board to release the brownies. Peel off the parchment paper and cut the brownies upside dow. They can be refrigerated for up to 3 days after this.