Chewy Brownies

By DreiFromBK

Ingredients

• 1/3cup Dutch-processed cocoa
• 1 1/2teaspoons instant espresso (optional)
• 1/2cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water
• 2ounces unsweetened chocolate , finely chopped (see note)
• 4tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter , melted
• 1/2cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/2cups (17 1/2 ounces) sugar
• 1 3/4cups (8 3/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3/4teaspoon table salt
• 6ounces bittersweet chocolate , cut into 1/2-inch pieces (see note)

Details

Servings 1
Adapted from cooksillustrated.com

Preparation

Step 1

For the chewiest texture, it is important to let the brownies cool thoroughly before cutting. If your baking dish is glass, cool the brownies 10 minutes, then remove them promptly from the pan (otherwise, the superior heat retention of glass can l"/>

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Makes twenty-four 2-inch brownies

For the chewiest texture, it is important to let the brownies cool thoroughly before cutting. If your baking dish is glass, cool the brownies 10 minutes, then remove them promptly from the pan (otherwise, the superior heat retention of glass can lead to overbaking). While any high-quality chocolate can be used in this recipe, our preferred brands of bittersweet chocolate are Callebaut Intense Dark Chocolate L-60-40NV and Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bar. Our preferred brand of unsweetened chocolate is Scharffen Berger. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

boiling water

Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Referring to directions in Making a Foil Sling (related), make sling using the following steps: Cut 18-inch length foil and fold lengthwise to 8-inch width. Fit foil into length of 13 by 9-inch baking pan, pushing it into corners and up sides of pan; allow excess to overhang pan edges. Cut 14-inch length foil and fit into width of pan in the same manner, perpendicular to the first sheet (if using extra-wide foil, fold second sheet lengthwise to 12-inch width). Spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Whisk cocoa, espresso powder (if using), and boiling water together in large bowl until smooth. Add unsweetened chocolate and whisk until chocolate is melted. Whisk in melted butter and oil. (Mixture may look curdled.) Add eggs, yolks, and vanilla and continue to whisk until smooth and homogeneous. Whisk in sugar until fully incorporated. Add flour and salt and mix with rubber spatula until combined. Fold in bittersweet chocolate pieces.

In our efforts to create a brownie as chewy as the box-mix kind, we tried a range of unusual techniques and ingredients. None of the approaches below got us close to our goal.

MAKE A BISCUIT

ADD CARAMEL

Other cooks say folding a caramel made from sugar and butter into the mix leads to chew. We didn't find it so.

The heat trapped in a pizza stone purportedly melts the sugar in the brownies, contributing to chew. For us, it did nothing.

The secret to a box-mix brownie's chewy texture boils down to one thing: fat—specifically the ratio of saturated to unsaturated fat. By using both butter (a predominantly saturated fat) and unsaturated vegetable oil, we were able to approximate the same 1:3 ratio found in commercially engineered specimens to mimic their satisfying chew.

Besides containing the optimal ratio of different fat types, box brownies make use of highly processed powdered shortening to achieve their chewy texture.

Besides containing the optimal ratio of different fat types, box brownies make use of highly processed powdered shortening to achieve their chewy texture.

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