Classic Brownies are fudgy and full of toasted pecans. They are simple to make and will convince you never to use a box mix again!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
If you're a fan of rich, chocolatey desserts, this classic brownie recipe adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From my home to yours is definitely one to love. Here are a few reasons why:
- Rich Chocolate Flavor: A good brownie should have a deep, robust chocolate taste. The classic brownie recipe uses unsweetened and bittersweet chocolate, giving you a chocolatey dessert that satisfies your cravings.
- Perfect Texture: The ideal brownie should be fudgy and moist on the inside but with a thin, slightly crisp top layer. This recipe strikes that balance perfectly, giving you a chewy and crispy brownie in all the right ways.
- Nutty Crunch: The addition of pecans adds a wonderful crunchy texture that contrasts with the soft, fudgy brownie. Pecans also have a buttery flavor that complements the rich chocolate perfectly.
- Easy to Make: This recipe doesn't require any complex techniques or obscure ingredients. If you can melt chocolate and stir ingredients together, you can make these brownies. Plus, they bake in about 30 minutes, making them a relatively quick treat to whip up.
Ingredients: Here's What You'll Need
- Dry Ingredients: For the dry ingredients, I used all-purpose flour, instant espresso powder, and Kosher salt.
- Wet Ingredients: The wet ingredients consisted of granulated sugar, unsalted butter, large eggs, and vanilla extract.
- The Chocolate: For the chocolate, I used unsweetened and bittersweet chocolate to produce a deep chocolate flavor.
- The Nuts: I used toasted pecan pieces for the nuts in this recipe.
Steps: Making the Classic Brownies
- First, I prepared the baking pan by lining the bottom with parchment paper and buttering the pan all over.
- Next, I placed the unsweetened chocolate, bittersweet chocolate, and butter in the top of a double boiler over simmering water.
- I stirred the mixture occasionally with a whisk until the chocolates and butter were just melted.
- Then, I removed the top from the pan of water and whisked in the sugar.
- Once the sugar was incorporated, I whisked in the eggs, vanilla, espresso powder, and salt. Then I gently whisked in the flour, stirring only until it was incorporated. Finally, I folded in the pecans with a rubber spatula.
Finishing the Classic Brownies
I poured the batter into the prepared pan and smoothed the top with the spatula.
I baked the brownies in a 325°F oven. After 32 minutes, the brownies were perfectly cooked. I removed the pan from the oven and placed it on a wire rack to cool to room temperature.
After the brownies were completely cooled, I turned them out onto the rack, peeled away the parchment paper, and cut them into 2-inch squares.
I ended up with 16 incredibly delicious brownies. I'll never go back to the boxed brownie mix again. Yum!
Frequently Asked Questions
Fudgy brownies usually have a higher fat-to-flour ratio. They typically require more butter and chocolate and less flour, which is the case in this recipe. Also, underbaking your brownies slightly can contribute to a fudgier texture.
While this recipe calls for pecans, you can use other nuts like walnuts, almonds, or hazelnuts, based on your preference.
Brownies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. If you want them to last longer, you can refrigerate them for up to a week or freeze them for a few months.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Ensure your brownies are fully cooled before cutting them to get clean cuts. You can also use a plastic knife or wet your knife slightly between each cut to reduce crumbling.
- Chocolate should be melted slowly and gently, as it can burn easily. The best way to melt chocolate is in a double boiler, but you can also do it in a microwave, in short intervals, stirring frequently.
- The best way to ensure consistent results is to weigh your ingredients. Different techniques for measuring ingredients can result is different quantities. I include the weights below in the recipe.
- If you don't have one, purchase a kitchen scale. They are inexpensive and are key to achieving good results from recipes.
- Overmixing the batter after the flour is added can activate the gluten and make your brownies tough rather than tender. Therefore, stir the batter just until the flour is incorporated.
- I always toast pecans used in my recipes. To easily toast pecans, spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 8 to 9 minutes. Watch carefully.
If you’d like something else nut-filled and chocolatey, try my Old-Fashioned Fudge with Peanuts.
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Classic Brownies
Equipment
- 8 x 8-inch baking pan
- Double boiler
Ingredients
- 5 Tablespoons (2.5 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
- ¾ cup (5.25 ounces) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon instant espresso powder
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ⅓ cup (1.67 ounces)all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (4 ounces) chopped pecans toasted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Line the bottom of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper; butter the parchment paper and pan sides with butter. Set aside.
- Put the chocolates and butter in the top of a double boiler set over simmering water. Stir occasionally until the ingredients are just melted - you don't want them to get so hot that the butter separates. Remove the top of the double boiler.
- With a whisk, stir in the sugar. Don't be concerned when your smooth mixture turns grainy. One by one, whisk in the eggs. Add the vanilla and give the ingredients a vigorous whisking before gently stirring in the espresso, salt, and flour; stir only until incorporated. Switch to a rubber spatula and fold in the chopped pecans.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with the spatula.
- Bake the brownies in a preheated 325°F oven for 30 to 33 minutes, or until the top is dull and a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool the brownies to room temperature.
- When the brownies are completely cool, turn out onto a rack, peel away the parchment paper, and invert them onto a cutting board. Cut into 16 squares, each about 2 inches. Serve at either room temperature or slightly chilled. Yield: 16 brownies.
ahale says
Excellent Brownies! Made High Altitude adjustments for 8000’ .
Brownies came out with No dip in the middle...yay!
Preheated my convec/micro to 375* and forgot to lower temp to bake for 14 mins. I lowered the heat to 350* for 7 add’l min & knife test assured doneness. (I believe this higher temp start helped with the finished bake, as my brownies were Not burnt.)
*These are the high alt adjustments I made—
Sugar—3/4 cup minus 2 1/4 Tbs (or 2 Tbs and 3/4 tsp)
Eggs—1 Ex. Lge plus 1 Lge
Flour—1/3 cup plus 1/2 Tbs
PudgeFactor says
Thank you so much for the high altitude adjustments! Chula