Supernatural Brownies
There's a voice inside my head right now saying, "Another brownie recipe?!! Is that what we all really need?! Don't you think you should be sharing something more innovative and trendy?!" Ugh, annoying voice of blog unsureness, maybe you do make some valid points, but you unfortunately have not tasted how amazingly, fantastically, chocolatey, fudgy and chewy these Supernatural Brownies are or you'd just STOP right now!! Because (and I'm going out on a big limb here) I think these are hands-down the best brownies I have ever made or eaten. They're...supernatural!!
Guys, I don't know why these are so much better than any other brownies. The dictionary defines supernatural as, "attributed to some force beyond scientific understanding or the laws of nature" and I figure that that's what's going on here. These beauties are indeed aptly named!
And yet, this is not a new recipe at all--apparently it's been around since the late '90's when it first came out in Nick Malgieri's book, Chocolate: From Simple Cookies to Extravagant Showstoppers, but apparently I somehow missed the boat, because where I found this little gem was in the newspaper about 4 years ago, carefully sticking it into my SAVE folder, unaware that I was banishing it to Brownie Purgatory, as it got sadly wedged into the bottom and forgotten. Happily, I recently did a huge folder purge, found the recipe and rescued it, repenting for my sin by making them about 4 times since then!! They're that good! Really!!
Yes, my friends, these are the brownies you dream about--crackly top, fudgy centers with just the right amount of chewiness and cakiness to please even the most finicky of brownie lovers. Everywhere I've brought these, people have raved and asked for the recipe. And like all the truly best recipes in the world, they're a snap to make! Even if you don't bake a lot, these will turn out great for you, I promise and you'll love them. Don't question why, don't try to understand it--just accept the fact that these are supernaturally good and make them asap!!
Supernatural Brownies
Makes about 20 brownies
Prep Time: 20 minutes: Bake Time: 35-40 minutes (plus overnight sitting--these are best when given a chance to allow the flavors to really develop)
Ingredients
2 sticks (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, plus more to butter pan and parchment paper
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
4 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup dark brown sugar (don't substitute light)
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
1/2-3/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
The Recipe
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a 13x9 inch pan and line with parchment paper so that the sides overhang. Butter the paper and set aside.
2. In the top of a double boiler, place the butter and chocolate. Bring the water to a simmer and don't let it touch the bottom of the bowl. Melt the chocolate and butter completely, stirring every now and then. Remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Then add the salt, both sugars and the vanilla and whisk together. Pour in the chocolate mixture and whisk together well. Gently fold in the flour, just until barely combined. Fold in the walnuts (if using). Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, smooth the top and bake for 35-40 minutes, until top of brownies is shiny and cracked and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with some fudgy pieces attached to it. Cool brownies in pan on a wire rack completely.
4. You can cut them once they're cool and they'll be good, but these are even more amazing if you let them sit, well-covered at room temperature for at least 8 hours and preferably overnight.
5. Brownies keep well wrapped at room temperature for several days.
Enjoy!
Note: Recipe adapted from Chocolate: Simple Cookies to Extravagant Showstoppers by Nick Malgieri via the New York Times.
