Best Cocoa Brownies Recipes

BEST FUDGY COCOA BROWNIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
• Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking oil spray. Line with parchment paper (or baking paper); set aside.
• Combine hot melted butter, oil and sugar together in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk well for about a minute. Add the eggs and vanilla; beat until lighter in colour (another minute).
• Sift in flour, cocoa powder and salt. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until JUST combined (do NOT over beat as doing so well affect the texture of your brownies).
• Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing the top out evenly. (OPTIONAL: Top with chocolate chunks or chocolate chips.)
• Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the centre of the brownies in the pan no longer jiggles and is just set to the touch (the brownies will keep baking in the hot pan out of the oven). If testing with a toothpick, the toothpick should come out dirty for fudge-textured brownies.
• Remove and allow to cool to room temperature before slicing into 16 brownies.

BEST COCOA BROWNIES

Steps:

• Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottom and sides of the baking pan with parchment paper or foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides.
• Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium heatproof bowl and set the bowl in a wide skillet of barely simmering water. Stir from time to time until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth and hot enough that you want to remove your finger fairly quickly after dipping it in to test. Remove the bowl from the skillet and set aside briefly until the mixture is only warm, not hot.
• Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. When the batter looks thick, shiny, and well blended, add the flour and stir until you cannot see it any longer, then beat vigorously for 40 strokes with the wooden spoon or a rubber spatula. Stir in the nuts, if using. Spread evenly in the lined pan.
• Bake until a toothpick plunged into the center emerges slightly moist with batter, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely on a rack.
• Lift up the ends of the parchment or foil liner, and transfer the brownies to a cutting board. Cut into 16 or 25 squares.

BEST COCOA BROWNIES

Steps:

• Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F Line the bottom and sides of an 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides.
• Spray the pan and lining with cooking spray.
• Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium heatproof bowl and set the bowl in a wide skillet of barely simmering water.
• Stir occasionally until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth, though it will appear somewhat gritty.
• Remove the bowl from the skillet and set aside briefly until the mixture is only warm, not at all hot.
• Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon.
• Add the eggs one at a time, stirring well after each one.
• When the batter looks thick, shiny, and well-blended, add the flour and stir until all the streaks of flour disappear, then beat vigorously for 40 more strokes with the wooden spoon or a rubber spatula.
• Stir in the nuts, if using. Spread evenly in the prepared pan.
• Bake until a toothpick plunged into the center emerges slightly moist with batter, about 25 minutes.
• Let cool completely on a wire rack.
• Set the pan in the freezer for 10 minutes (it will make for clean cutting of the brownies).
• Lift up the ends of the parchment or foil liner, and transfer the brownies to a cutting board.
• Cut into 16 squares.