Crinkle Top Fudgy Brownies

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 0.5 cup natural cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract (Use either vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract.)
• 0.5 cup light brown sugar
• 1.75 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 0.25 cup semi-sweet chocolate (Chopped.)
• 3 large eggs (At room temperature.)
• 0.5 cup all-purpose flour
• salt (A pinch.)
• 3 tbsp olive oil

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease an 8 × 8-inch (20 × 20 cm) baking pan and line it with parchment paper on all sides. Set the prepared pan aside.

2. 2

   Place the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Once it begins to foam, stir and scrape the butter from the bottom and sides of the pan every 10 seconds.

3. 3

   Continue cooking the butter for 6–8 minutes. The milk solids will sink to the bottom and begin to brown. When the butter smells nutty and toasted and has turned deep golden brown, immediately transfer it to a heatproof bowl to cool.

4. 4

   Once the browned butter has cooled, add the cocoa powder, olive oil, vanilla, and chopped semi-sweet chocolate. Mix until the chocolate has melted and the cocoa powder is completely dissolved.

5. 5

   In a separate bowl, crack in the eggs and add the light brown sugar. Whisk for 5–6 minutes, or until the sugar has completely dissolved into the eggs. Fully dissolving the sugar is important for achieving a crackly top.

6. 6

   Add the powdered sugar to the egg mixture and mix for another 1–2 minutes, until completely combined.

7. 7

   Add the cooled browned-butter mixture to the egg mixture. Add the all-purpose flour, salt, and semi-sweet chocolate chips, then mix until the batter is well combined.

8. 8

   Transfer the batter to the prepared 8 × 8-inch baking pan and spread it evenly.

9. 9

   Bake for 30–35 minutes. The top should be shiny, and a toothpick inserted into the brownies should come out with some crumbs clinging to it.

10. 10

    Let the brownies cool in the pan for 1–2 hours before cutting. For clean cuts, use a very sharp knife, warm it under hot water, and wipe it with a wet paper towel between cuts.

Notes

The source says to let the brownies cool completely before cutting; this is consistent with the stated 1–2 hour cooling time. The source does not specify the exact number or size of brownie pieces.

Nutrition per serving

• dessert
• brownies
• baked
• chocolate
• fudgy
• vegetarian
• American baking