The Second-Best Brownies in Meade County
I've won second place with this recipe two years running, and it's killing me. What is the winning secret?! Nuts? Cream cheese swirls? Peanut butter topping? I don't know, but these brownies are generally acknowledged, by all children who have ever tasted them, to be The Best Brownies In The Whole Wide World. I think that's a better advertisement than a county fair ribbon anyway, don't you? I actually got the recipe off the back of a box of Bakers Chocolate. The real secret isn't in the mixing; it's in the baking. Ready?
I've won second place with this recipe two years running, and it's killing me. What is the winning secret?! Nuts? Cream cheese swirls? Peanut butter topping? I don't know, but these brownies are generally acknowledged, by all children who have ever tasted them, to be The Best Brownies In The Whole Wide World. I think that's a better advertisement than a county fair ribbon anyway, don't you? I actually got the recipe off the back of a box of Bakers Chocolate. The real secret isn't in the mixing; it's in the baking. Ready?
- Carbohydrate 12.399284 g
- Cholesterol 61.519 mg
- Fat 13.995122 g
- Fiber 1.25496002883911 g
- Protein 2.178666 g
- Saturated Fat 8.5230876 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (57g)
- Sodium 7520.8088213884 mg
- Sugar 11.1443239711609 g
- Trans Fat 0.962316000000001 g
- Calories 172 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Get out an 11? X 9? baking pan.
- Line your pan with a big sheet of aluminum foil and grease it well.
- In a pot large enough to hold all the batter, melt the butter and the chocolate squares together over medium heat.
- Stir it often, even constantly, to prevent anything from sticking and burning, and to speed up the melting.
- Take it off the heat when you are done and stir in the sugar.
- Add the eggs and vanilla and mix thoroughly, making sure the eggs are well incorporated.
- Lastly, stir in the flour and make sure there are no lumps!
- Use a rubber spatula to scrape the batter into your prepared 11? X 9? baking pan.
- Pop it in the oven and set the timer for the 30 minutes that the original recipe recommends.
- Check the brownies when the timer dings and bake for up to another ten minutes if the batter still jiggles.
- Ensure they are just barely cooked: not doughy, but not dried out, either.
- Let them cool completely for best flavor, or cut them when they are still warm.
- Cut into as many as 20 snacks from this size pan.
- Share them with the neighbors.
Baking dense chocolate squares requires strict adherence to pan dimensions. Using an improper vessel alters the depth of the batter, shifting heat penetration and destroying the final texture. An eleven by nine inch pan provides the exact volume needed to prevent the center from remaining raw while the edges overbake. Lining this pan with a large sheet of aluminum foil allows the entire batch to lift out cleanly once cooled, preventing structural damage during slicing. Butter works well for greasing the foil, establishing a non-stick barrier that helps release the rich crumb.
Melting unsweetened chocolate alongside whole butter over medium heat requires constant stirring. This technique distributes thermal energy evenly, preventing the cocoa solids from scorching against the bottom of the pot. Granulated sugar dissolves directly into this warm fat mixture, creating a glossy base that incorporates whole eggs thoroughly without seizing. Whisking the eggs and vanilla into the warm chocolate creates an emulsion that traps air temporarily, yielding a thin, shiny crust on the surface of the baked dessert.
Flour must be folded in gently to avoid gluten development, keeping the mouthfeel tender rather than chewy. The oven operates at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, establishing a moderate environment that cooks the interior steadily. Initial timing sits at 30 minutes, but visual monitoring remains mandatory. A slight jiggle indicates un-coagulated egg proteins, signaling that the interior requires additional minutes in the heat. Extending the bake time to 40 minutes generally produces a stable structure, verified by a toothpick emerging with moist crumbs rather than wet batter. Standard dairy butter cannot be replaced with low-fat spreads or liquid oils without fundamentally altering the fat-to-solid ratio, which ruins the dense moisture level required for proper fudge consistency. Allowing the pan to cool completely before cutting ensures clean edges, though warm squares remain pliable for immediate service.
