Brownies that will change your life (or at least make you feel better): sea salt brownies

I’m not going to lie. I love brownies.

And I think made-from-scratch brownies are easy to overbake, resulting in dry, crumbling chocolate-y squares that just aren’t all that appetizing. I’ve secretely held the belief that from the box brownies are a little better than any made-from-scratch recipe I’ve ever tried.

Then, I ran across this recipe. And I had to try it. Fudgy brownies? I like those! Sea salt? I have that! A salty, sweet combo? I’m willing to try!

So I set about making these brownies and they were truly good. Understand this, though if you want to make them: this recipe is for a fudgy brownie. If you like cake-like brownies and don’t care for a little bit of gooeyness with your brownies, this ISN’T the recipe for you.

But if you do, oh my word, you have to try this!

Here’s how to make them:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. The recipe called for lining an 8 inch square pan with two pieces of foil, then greasing the foil or using cooking spray. I did it, because it certainly makes it easier to lift the entire batch of brownies out of the pan.

2. Melt 1 1/2 stick of butter with 2 ounces of unsweetened chocolate over low heat on your stovetop. When just melted, remove from heat and stir well to combine. Pour into your mixing bowl and let it sit while you gather the remaining ingredients. (Just an aside, I used Ghirardelli baking chocolate and it was amazing.)

3. Add your sugar (2 cups) to the melted chocolate/butter mixture and mix together with your mixer. Just get that combined, then mix in cocoa (¼ cups plus 2 Tablespoons), eggs (3 whole eggs), and vanilla (1 1/2 teaspoons).

4. When all of that is combined, stir in the flour (1 cup).

5. When the batter is thick and mocha colored, pour it into the prepared pan and smooth the surface using a spatula. Sprinkle the sea salt lightly over the top of the brownies (1/2 teaspoon). Use a butter knife to swirl the salt into the batter, then sprinkle a little extra across the top. Don’t get crazy. No one wants overly salty brownies! Leave the extra salt sitting on top of the brownies.

6. Bake for about 35 minutes, until the edge is set but the center is still a bit soft. If you’re one of those people who uses toothpicks to test the doneness, you want it to come out of the center coated with a little of the batter. I baked mine batch for about 37 minutes and when I make this recipe again, I’ll probably bake them slightly longer, like 40-45 minutes. Cool the brownies at room temperature in the pan for about an hour, then refrigerate just until they are firm. Lift the brownies from the pan and remove foil, cut them into squares, and enjoy. They’re particularly good with ice cream or a big ol’ cold glass of milk.

For the original recipe, go here.

#baking #dessert