Perfect Fudgy Brownies January 19
Too cakey, too dry, too dense, too wet, too greasy, too many nuts, not enough nuts.
What is the perfect brownie? I sincerely thing that everyone has a different mindset when it comes to brownies. Some people like them to be like a moist, dense, chocolate cake, while others prefer them to be a sort of lightened fudge. There are some who won’t eat them if they don’t have nuts or frosting, while others turn up their noses at anything but a plain brownie. For something so simple, there are nearly as many different recipes as there are tastes. Unfortunately, I have found it very difficult to come up with a basic brownie recipe I actually like. I have tried so many brownies, I can no longer even identify the traits that I thought I liked, though I now know exactly what I dislike in a brownie (hence the list at the top of this post).
I am so picky about brownies that I will nearly always refuse them. But I was flipping through my new copy of Alice Medrich’s Cookies and Brownies
The magical method involves baking the brownies at a hight temperature for about 20 minutes, then dunking the pan in an ice bath, which arrests the cooking from the outside in, and very quickly at that. You can, alternatively, shove the pan into your freezer immediately upon removing them from the oven. If your freezer looks anything like mine, you’re probably better off with the ice bath. This method means that you must use a metal baking pan, since a glass one could shatter when you take it from a hot oven and plunge it into freezing water.
This works. The brownies are the best brownies I have ever had, hands down. They are smooth and creamy in the center, without seeming raw or underbaked. They are crisp on the top and firm rather than gooey on the bottom, making them easy to handle. They are rich but neither greasy nor overly dense and fudge-like. I think that they are quite possibly the perfect brownies. These will be my basic brownie recipe from now on. You can add up to 2/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans to the batter, if you like.
New Classic Brownies
(from Cookies and Brownies
8 tbsp unsalted butter (1/2 cup)
4 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup walnuts or pecans (optional)
Preheat the oven to 400F and line and 8-inch square metal baking pan with foil.
Melt the butter and the chocolate together, on top of a double boiler or in the microwave, stirring often until smooth. Stir in sugar, vanilla and salt. Add eggs one at a time, followed by flour. Stir until very smooth, about 1 minute. Add nuts, if using.
Scrape batter into prepared pan and bake at 400F for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare a water bath. Fill a large roasting pan with water and ice about 1 inch deep.
When the brownies are done - and they will look a bit dry on top - take them immediately from the oven and place in the water bath. Add more ice to the water if necessary. Allow to cool completely in the bath before removing the pan and cutting the brownies.
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Makes 16.
The Cookbook Junkie Jan 19
I hate you! It’s 9:40am and all I can think about now is brownies! How am I going to get any work done?
I’m not so picky when it comes to brownies. Depending on my mood, I like just about all types. I like to add a little espresso powder to brownie recipes.
Sandy Jan 19
I wonder if this baking method would work for any brownie recipe or just this one? I’ll have to compare the ingrediant list to another recipe and see how different they are.
Nic Jan 19
Cookbook junkie - Sorry about that! I guess you’ll just have to make a batch.
Sandy - The recipe itself isn’t unusual, just the method. It will work with other recipes, but the result will not be precisely the same and perhaps not quite as good. I cannot say for certain.
mari Jan 19
I’ll definitely give this one a try. It sounds like the perfect balance of all the things I want in a brownie…yum!
dksbook Jan 19
Nic, you mentioned in passing “nuts”. I love nuts, but I have not much liked them in brownies - I suppose because they are sort of lost in the chocolate, and sort of “wet” themselves, even when toasted first. So I simply sprinkle some evenly chopped (about 1/8″ square) nuts on the top of the batter. They get toasted as the batter bakes, I get my nuts, and people who don’t like nuts can either pass on them altogether, or easily brush the nuts off the brownies.
I’ll have to try this new method next time I bake brownies. But I have to admit, I’ll even eat box brownies (ducking for cover!)
Joe Jan 19
That’s a pretty interesting and cool technique!
Mika Jan 19
Medrich comes with cool ideas like this one. I would like to try this with any brownie recipe that I am testing out. Thanks for the recipe, Nic.
Diane Jan 19
I clearly have my baking task for today ahead of me!
Why on earth is this book out of print and $89.00? The price on Abebooks was even worse.
bea at La Tartine Gourmande Jan 19
This looks goods. I got to your blog through Gluten Free Girl (thank you!) and discovered… chocolate!!! Happy me! I made beet/chocolate brownies yesterday, so it must be the season!!
Yum!
Anonymous Jan 19
I’ve been making these brownies for a number of years and they are simply the best brownies I’ve ever had. I’ve tried at least half a dozen other recipes, all good, some very good but none match these.
They are even better with great chocolate, Scharffen Berger being my current favorite, expensive I know, but worth it in my opinion.
Rorie Jan 19
Oh, they sound delicious and now I REALLY want a brownie! Great photo as well.
Natalia Jan 19
If they taste as good as they look in that picture, then they must be great. Although I like brownies best right out of the oven, still warm and gooey.
rae Jan 19
yes. yes. yes. they do look perfect. must. bake. brownies. now.
Anonymous Jan 20
I’ve been reading your site for the longest time and always trusted and loved the recipes you put up, and this is no exception! I just made these brownies and they were absolutely perfect, as you said
-CHL
Barbara (Biscuit Girl) Jan 20
Must make brownies……
That’s the thought that’s been running through my head ever since I read your post.
valentinA ® Jan 21
Hi Nic,
I tried your recipe yesterday for a dinner party and I must say it worked wonders! I put mine in the sink filled with cold water
They all loved it, thanks!:)
Can’t wait to make more..
Nic Jan 21
Diane - I’ve had the book for some time, but I just linked to it so people could see what it looked like. The recipes are fantastic, but $89, well, you might try looking at a used bookstore first
CHL - I’m glad you liked them!
Valentina - Using the sink was a great idea, not to mention more convenient than fixing another pan.
Ana Jan 21
Wow, these brownies look great Nic! I am going to try this recipe next time I make brownies!
Ana
Audrey Jan 21
Just tried them ! I used the fridge-technique (worked really well) and put pecans into the batter, delicious ! A great recipe
Diane Jan 21
I wasn’t blaming you for the price! I’m just surprised that a popular author like Medrich has such an in-demand book and no one has reprinted it. I certainly wish I’d been cooking four or five years ago, when the book was out… It sounds fantastic. (I haven’t made these brownies yet, but I clearly need to.)
Anna Jan 24
Alice is a genius.
Lori Jan 24
I’d read about this cold water technique in the same book. I think Alice attributed it to her secretary’s husband, Steve, or somebody like that.
Anyway, I have yet to try this method, but I’m glad that it worked for you, Nic.
I liked what you wrote in the post about how you’ve tried so many brownie recipes that you don’t know anymore what it is that you like/don’t like. How true!
Niki Jan 29
Oh my gawd! What an incredible (and yet so simple) idea! I must try. I must try!
Niki Jan 29
Actually, what would you recommend for people who live in countries where unsweetened chocolate is not available? Using dark chocolate, obviously, but how much sugar would you reduce?
Nic Jan 29
Interesting question, Niki. I believe that the sugar should be reduced by 1 tablespoon for each ounce of dark chocolate you use instead of unsweetened.
brownielover Feb 14
hi nic, do u think i could use oil instead of butter? would e proportion be the same? thanks!
Nic Feb 14
brownielover - No, using oil will not give you the same results in this recipe, so I would not recommend using it.
Anonymous Apr 9
Where did you get your copy of this book? I borrowed it from the library. I was debating about what to make until I saw your post…I’m always in search of a new and better brownie. When I checked Amazon and ebay to purchase this book…it was … are you ready?…$188!!!! WOW!
This is my first post to you…but I have your christmas marshmallows cooling on my counter and I’m getting out my yeast to make the soft pretzels you made your gramma. I LOVE your blog. Thanks so much for sharing!
Wendy zeroslipped@hotmail.com
aka faithful reader and wanna be baker but current teacher.
gilly Jun 27
Hi Nic,
I tried these out last week, and they turned out absolutely fantastic. Hands down, the best brownies I’ve ever made! Thanks!
PS. I’m in the same boat as Wendy - it seems as though a copy of Alice Medrich’s book is a collector’s item! I cannot find a copy anywhere for less than $180US.
Rob Gorczyca Sep 17
AMAZING. My wife yelled at me for making these because obviously they aren’t full of nutrition, but what the heck - ya gotta live a little sometimes!
By far the best brownies I’ve ever made. I used to think the box mix was good, this ‘from scratch’ recipe has those beat hands down.. these are amazing. Thanks!!
JBD Sep 26
Nic, these are in the oven right now — and I’m 6 minutes away from my first time using the “Steve Ritual” technique. So excited! I’ll let you know how they turn out.
Lynn Apr 27
Hi, this is an interesting method of baking and cooling brownies! A definite must try!
However, I have a problem with the exact measurements of the ingredients, could u help me with that? Is there any way you could help me translate the measurements of the butter, sugar and flour into grams?
Thanks!
ROSEMARY Jul 1
Hi the only Brownies I have made were with Nigel Slater’s recipe. These were delicious. What do others think?
I have the same problem as Lynn I still cook in imperial measures lbs and ozs, in fact my scales are in imperial measures. Can you give a guide . I know 25grams is 1 oz.
Caviemom Aug 30
Has anyone doubled these and used a 13 x 9 pan? How long would you bake them??? I made them 8 x 8 and they were spectacular. Just not enough for a BIG family.
Anonymous May 28
OMG I made these for a potluck we had in the office and it was a big hit! Thanks for the recipe, they were delicious!!
Amellia Jul 21
i was wondering, what’s the difference if you use cocoa powder and whisking it with the butter(the more ‘traditional’ method i suppose), as opposed to melting the chocolate? is it because the chocolate is richer?
Jillian Aug 6
Uhhh….yeah. These are THE best brownies ever! I made these this afternoon and I have already emailed a whole list of folk the link to this page for the recipe. I had seen this recipe on your blog quite some time ago and just got around to making them. (kicks self in butt) Thank you for your contributions to my phat fund!