Fudgy Brownies
A good while back, I made a different kind of brownie that was light, fluffy, and strongly flavored with honey. These brownies fall on the opposite end of the spectrum, restoring balance to my ultimate zen state of brownie satiation. These brownies are dark, dense, and incredibly chocolatey. The kind that requires you to approach them armed with a tall glass of milk and a willingness to fend off any passers-by who think they can share in the bounty. These are brownies well worth being selfish about…unless you’re looking to bribe someone, I suppose–then these would be a great thing to share.
This is more than comfort food. Its too rich and indulgent to be called comfort food. You have the crisp, buttery, crinkly edges that seem to contradict the dense, fudgy, moist interior. And this is a situation where if you have a cache of chocolate, splurge and use the best you’ve got, because this is a recipe where it will really shine. There’s no nuts, swirls, frostings, or other elements to distract your taste buds: these brownies are 100% focused on the chocolate.
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
- 9 oz bittersweet chocolate
- 1.5 cups sugar
- 4 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup flour
In a double boiler, melt the chocolate and the butter (cut into 16 pieces), only just to the point where everything is melted. If you go too long, the butter will separate and this is not what you want. Once melted, remove from heat.
Whisk the sugar into the chocolate. Things will look grainy, but that’s fine. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking between each addition. Add the vanilla and whisk some more. Things should be a bit thicker by now and you might be sick of whisking. Add in the salt and flour, mixing only as much as is necessary to incorporate into the chocolate mix. The batter should be incredibly thick.
Now, line a pan with tin foil and butter the foil generously. Spread the batter in the pan and smooth it out as it won’t do a good job of settling and smoothing itself out. Bake this for 20-22 minutes (or until a tester comes out clean) in a 325°F oven.
Once time is up, remove from the oven, and let cool for a few minutes before you remove the tinfoil-harnessed brownies out of the pan. Cut into roughly ~32 rectangles (or whatever size suits your fancy).
Finally, stack them up and go at it. Should you have leftovers, these will keep well at room temperature if fairly tightly wrapped for roughly 3 days. You can use the fridge to keep them longer after that, but I’d be surprised if you have that problem. 
Enjoy!
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