King Arthur Flour Brownies...An Awesome Recipe! Have you ever had brownies that are about 1 inch thick and are chewy, fudgy, chocolatey, and a bit cake-like with a nice shiny, crackly top all at the same time? Well, I recently made a BIG batch of brownies...a 13x9 pan! The whole batch had about 2 cups of sugar and 2 cups of butter! You know they had to be good:).
My husband has been asking me to make him some brownies...I haven't made brownies for a while now. And whenever I do make brownies, I most always make my World's Chocolatiest Brownies...because my husband thinks they are simply the best. But you see, I have been wanting to make King Arthur Flour's fudgy brownie... a brownie that is KAF guaranteed(meaning they will come out as described). They looked so ... well, like brownies should look,...fudgy with a shiny, crackly crust. I HAD to make them, even if the recipe had well over 2 cups of sugar and 2 sticks of butter. I told myself that it was o.k.... since the recipe did make a BIG pan. I guess I could have halved the recipe. But I didn't. And decided to make the whole batch. I guess I wanted to see what they were like, if it would be a great recipe to have on hand when I need to make a big batch.
I know you can freeze brownies, so I wasn't worried about the big batch the recipe yielded....and my husband wouldn't mind:). It would be a special treat to have a small bite with coffee every once in a while. I mean brownies and coffee...that's a pretty good combination.
For this post, I also wanted to show you how to turn regular brownies into elegant desserts. I was inspired by King Arthur's brownie bites post... so, I guess that is part of the reason why I decided to make the whole batch. Well, with just a few simple decorations, you can turn the brownies into something extra special. Use a raspberry, caramel, chocolate sauce or some sweetened whipped cream to decorate. Make some chocolate curls using a vegetable peeler. I love to make them into mini brownies as well.
These brownies would be extra cute for tea parties. Just cut them in round bite-size pieces and decorate as desired. I love to add various flavorings to my brownies....orange peel/extract has got to be one of my favorites. But I also like to add other flavorings, such as Irish Cream, rum, raspberry and mint.
These brownies delivered....they were incredibly good! If you like chocolate, you will probably like these brownies. Oh, if you like nuts, feel free to substitute some of the chocolate chips with some nuts. Hope you enjoy...
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cups Double-Dutch Dark Cocoa or Dutch-process cocoa( I used Hershey's DARK)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon espresso powder
1 tablespoon vanilla extract*
1 1/2 cups unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2 cups chocolate chips
* I used orange zest
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
1. Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan
2. In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, or in a saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter, then add the sugar and stir to combine. Return the mixture to the heat (or microwave) briefly, just until it's hot (about 110°F to 120°F), but not bubbling; it'll become shiny looking as you stir it. Heating this mixture a second time will dissolve more of the sugar, which will yield a shiny top crust on your brownies.
3. While the sugar heats a second time, crack the 4 eggs into a bowl, and beat them with the cocoa, salt, baking powder, espresso powder, and vanilla till smooth.
4. Add the hot butter/sugar mixture, stirring until smooth.
5. Add the flour and chips, again stirring until smooth.
Note: If you want the chips to remain intact in the baked brownies, rather than melting in, let the batter cool in the bowl for about 20 minutes before stirring in the chips.
6. Spoon the batter into a lightly greased 9" x 13" pan. I used parchment paper on the bottom.
7. Bake the brownies for about 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Mine did excellent at the 30 minute mark, even though the toothpick still had some moist crumbs/filling. It continues to cook as it cools. The brownies should feel set on the edges, and the center should look very moist, but not uncooked. Remove them from the oven and cool on a rack before cutting and serving.
You can cut them traditionally in big squares or opt to cut them mini and place them in mini muffin liners.
OR...
Make elegant desserts by cutting them in round shapes using a biscuit cutter. Decorate as desired....with whipped cream,shaved chocolate curls(using a vegetable peeler), raspberry sauce, ice cream and caramel sauce...or whatever you prefer, like chocolate covered espresso beans.
FAQs
For an easy boost to your boxed brownie mix, sprinkle in about a half cup of add-ins to give brownie batter a personal touch. Although nuts, chocolate and peanut butter chips, and mini marshmallows are easy wins here, this method invites creativity, and the options are truly limitless.
What makes a brownie more fudgy? ›
Fudgy brownies have a higher fat-to-flour ratio than cakey ones. So add more fat—in this case, butter and chocolate. A cakey batch has more flour and relies on baking powder for leavening. The amount of sugar and eggs does not change whether you're going fudgy or cakey.
How do you doctor up brownie mix? ›
Vanilla extract – Pure vanilla extract adds rich flavor to brownies. Eggs – Most brownie mixes call for one whole egg. Adding one large egg plus an extra egg yolk gives brownies an ultra fudgy texture. Chocolate Chips – Even if your brownie mix contains chocolate, plan to add chocolate chips.
Why don t my brownies have a crackly top? ›
Add semisweet chocolate chips
That's when I realized that the extra step of adding chocolate chips to the brownie batter helps the brownies get a crackly top.
What does adding milk instead of water do to brownies? ›
One change is to use milk or heavy cream instead of water. This change will make brownies more moist and gooey since milk is more fatty and flavorful than water. A second change is to use butter instead of oil. For similar reasons to using milk, butter adds a rich and more decadent quality to the batter.
How do you elevate brownies? ›
Want to Save this Recipe?
- Add chunks of your favorite chocolate candy bar to the mix. ...
- Add vanilla extract to the brownie mix. ...
- Add chocolate chips to the brownie mix before baking. ...
- Top your brownies with white, chocolate or peanut butter chips after they bake. ...
- Add chopped nuts to your brownie mix.
Achieving a fudgy brownie is all to do with the ratio of fat to flour. A fudgy brownie recipe will use more fat than flour. Generally this is achieved by adding more butter or real chocolate to your brownie recipe. A cakey brownie recipe on the other hand will call for more flour in the ratio of fat to flour.
Are brownies better with butter or oil? ›
In brownies, both butter and oil will offer a moist, tender texture, but only butter will give the dish the aeration needed for rising brownies well. If you use a cake brownie, butter is a better option because it helps rise the batter. For denser, fudge type brownies, oil is permissable.
What does adding an extra egg to brownie mix do? ›
They give brownies a lighter, drier, and more cake-like texture. If you prefer this over the chewy variety, then go ahead and crack in that additional egg. On the other hand, too many eggs will yield brownies that are hard, heavy, and tough.
What if I forgot to add egg to brownie mix? ›
Without eggs, baked goods will become a little thinner and not rise as much in the oven. As long as you replace the moisture from the egg with milk, banana or applesauce, you can make brownies without eggs.
Add coffee or instant espresso powder to your brownies for an even deeper, more complex chocolate flavor. Swirl them with peanut butter, cream cheese, or even pumpkin filling to mix things up. Mix in nuts, add a marshmallow topping, or spread on your favorite frostings for fun, simple, or seasonal twists.
Should brownies still be wet in the middle? ›
If the brownies still look wet or aren't pulling away, they aren't done. Even fudgy brownies will pull from the edges once they've finished baking. You'll see that the edges look dry while the middle still looks soft or slightly wet. Chewy and cakey brownies will have dry edges with firmer-looking centers.
What happens if you put too much butter in brownies? ›
Whether you use butter, margarine, or vegetable oil, putting too much in your brownie batter causes it to be greasy. Don't worry, you're not alone. Many people fall into this trap when trying to substitute butter with oil.
How to make box brownies extra chewy? ›
To make box brownies moist and chewy, here are a few tips you can try:
- **Don't Overmix:** When preparing the brownie batter, mix until just combined. ...
- **Add Extra Moisture:** Incorporate ingredients like sour cream, yogurt, or applesauce into the batter.
You can absolutely substitute butter for the vegetable oil. Use the same quantity specified in the directions (for example, if it calls for 1/3 cup of oil, use 5 1/3 tablespoons of butter). Melt it down, then let it cool a bit. You might not ever go back to oil!
What does butter do in brownies? ›
In brownies, the latter leads to cakier results because you're beating more air and lift into the batter. In doing this, you're also diffusing the chocolate flavor. Brownies made with melted butter tend to be fudgier and have a stronger cocoa flavor.
