Author Notes: My girlfriend, Inge, is a chocolate junkie. I can always tell when she’s stressed because there’s a little mountain of foil wrappers next to her on the couch. Cake is her crack. Brownies are her ‘Lucy in the sky with diamonds.”
This is hands-down, the best sinfully delicious, chocolatey brownies I have ever had. Inge agreed. The Special Dark cocoa transformed these brownies into a moist, dense, intense chocolate flavor. You only need to eat one piece for effect. Two may be gluttony, but come on…it’s the holidays. Live it up. You’ve got a month until that evil New Year’s resolution.
These brownies are my new staple, box mix be damned! And they’re so easy, I bet you will make them your go-to brownies, too. If you don’t, you will regret it. I can promise you that much. Play around with different cocoas. Add nuts if you want (I don’t). Cut the intense chocolate with a dash of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Whatever your addiction calls for, do it (brownies, folks…come on).
*Adapted from Bon Appetit —Writes & Bites
Makes: 16 brownies
Ingredients
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Nonstick vegetable oil spray
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1/2
cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
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1 1/4
cups sugar
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3/4
cup Hershey’s Special Dark all-natural unsweetened cocoa
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1/2
teaspoon kosher salt
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1
teaspoon vanilla extract
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2
large eggs
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1/3
cup all-purpose flour
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.Line an 8x8x2 baking pan with foil, pressing firmly into the pan and leaving a 2-inch overhang. Coat foil with nonstick spray and set baking dish aside.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Let it cool slightly. Whisk cocoa, sugar, and salt in a bowl until well combined. Pour butter into the dry ingredients in a steady stream, whisking constantly to blend. Whisk in vanilla. The batter will be like a thick paste. That’s expected.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating vigorously to blend after each egg. Add flour and stir until just combined (do not overmix). Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface.
- Bake until top begins to crack and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 25-30 minutes.
- Transfer the pan to a wire rack. Let the brownies cool completely in the pan. Using the foil overhang, lift the brownies out of the pan and transfer to a cutting board. Cut and serve!
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