Just Straight-Up Brownies

I've got nothing against a good box of brownie mix, but it's good to have a basic brownie recipe from scratch around for a slightly more ambitious chocolate craving. There are about a billion ways to mix it up, but it's always good as is, too!

Want to increase your brownie repertoire?? Try the strawberry jam and dark chocolate ones, swirl in some dulce de leche, cross-breed with pumpkin pie, switch to almond flour, or transform them into gluten-free cup versions. Sometime soon I want to make this ones: Peanut Butter Kahlua Brownies from Cheese and Chocolate! And definitely these Biscoff Brownies from Bake at 350. Also, a good trick to making great brownies is to UNDERBAKE!!!!!! Trust me.

Brownies 

From Chocolate: From Simple Cookies to Extravagant Showstoppers, by Nick Malgieri

16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter 

8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, cut into 1/4-inch pieces 

4 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar 

2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

1 cup all-purpose flour

1. Line one 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan with buttered parchment or foil. Set a rack at the middle level of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. 

2. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil and turn off heat. Combine butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set over pan of water. Stir occasionally until melted. 

3. Whisk eggs together in a large bowl, then whisk in salt, sugars, and vanilla. Stir in chocolate and butter mixture, then fold in flour. 

4. Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for about 45 minutes, until top has formed a shiny crust and batter is moderately firm. Cool in pan on a rack. Cut brownies into squares. 

Serving: Serve the brownies on their own or with ice cream and hot fudge sauce. 

Storage: The best way to store brownies is to wrap them individually and keep them at room temperature in a tin or plastic container with a tight-fitting cover. Or freeze them.