Why not indulge in fudgy goodness?
For many of us, a dessert isn’t really a dessert unless chocolate is involved. So why not mix up a pan of brownies? And these are the brownies you want to make. If I had to say which of my recipes were most popular, these one-pot fudgy brownies would be in the top five. I’ve received wonderful little tributes to the recipe from people who make these brownies regularly.
Some make it for their kids’ birthdays every year because the kids requested them instead of cake. So cool.
This recipe takes less than 15 minutes to get into the oven, which is a fact that you can keep to yourself. All anyone will know is that you made these fudgy brownies from scratch.
The recipe shaves off two common brownie-making steps. Often, a recipe will tell you to chop the chocolate before melting it, or to use a double boiler. Not here. Just melt the squares of unsweetened chocolate with the butter over low heat, and the chocolate will dissolve gently into the butter, without scorching.
And as the name suggests, the brownies are blended up in the very pot you use to melt the chocolate and butter in, so you don’t have to wash another bowl.
What makes a brownie fudgy versus cakey is a higher level of fat. More butter and more chocolate. Cakey brownies often have just cocoa powder in them, and also almost always have some sort of leavening, usually baking powder or soda.
Here, we are firmly headed in the direction of fudgy.
Also, when you bake them, lean on the side of slightly underbaked, which will give you that amazing moist and fudgy texture. And let them cool completely before cutting them.
You can make 12, 18 or 24 squares, depending on how large you want the brownies to be. And if you want to make them feel extra special, add whipped cream and some berries.
To make homemade whipped cream, simply beat 1 cup of heavy cream, 1 to 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar and one-half teaspoon of vanilla extract in a bowl with an electric beater until stiff peaks form.
You can dollop some on each brownie, and then sprinkle some raspberries, blueberries, sliced strawberries or a mixture over them.