Brown Butter Gourmet Brownies

Fudgy brownies with brown butter, melted dark chocolate, cocoa, and chocolate chunks. Crackly top from dissolving the sugar in hot fat and whipping the eggs. Eight-inch pan, 16 squares. About 30 minutes active, then a mandatory chill.

Ingredients

• 170 g (12 tbsp / 1.5 sticks) unsalted butter
• 170 g good dark chocolate (60 to 70%), chopped
• 200 g granulated sugar
• 100 g light brown sugar, packed
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1.5 tsp instant espresso powder
• 100 g all-purpose flour
• 50 g unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch-process preferred for smoothness)
• 0.75 tsp fine sea salt
• 120 g dark chocolate, chopped into chunks (or good chocolate chips)
• Flaky sea salt (Maldon) for topping

Equipment

• 8x8 metal pan (metal gives better edges than glass)
• Parchment paper, with overhang on two sides for lifting
• Light-colored saucepan
• Knife and cutting board, for the chocolate
• Sifter or fine-mesh strainer
• Two bowls, whisk, spatula
• Optional: hand mixer or stand mixer for the egg step
• Toothpick

Method

1. Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line the pan with parchment, leaving overhang on two sides. Sift together flour, cocoa, and fine salt in a bowl and set aside.
2. Melt butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. It will foam, then quiet, then the milk solids at the bottom turn golden-brown and smell nutty, about 5 to 7 minutes. Pull it off the heat the moment it smells like toffee and the bits are amber. It goes from brown to burnt fast.
3. Off heat, add the 170 g chopped chocolate and the espresso powder to the hot butter. Let sit 1 minute, then stir until glossy and fully melted. Let cool 5 minutes so it will not scramble the eggs.
4. In a separate large bowl, add both sugars. Pour the warm chocolate-butter over the sugar and whisk hard for a full minute to start dissolving it. Add eggs and vanilla. Whip vigorously (mixer on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes, or by hand until your arm complains) until the batter is noticeably lighter in color, thick, and ribbony. This aeration plus dissolved sugar is what creates the shiny, paper-thin crackle.
5. Add the sifted dry ingredients. Fold gently with a spatula just until no flour streaks remain. Stop. Overmixing here makes them cakey. Fold in the 120 g chocolate chunks.
6. Scrape into the pan and smooth the top. Bake 28 to 32 minutes. The center should be set but still soft; a toothpick should come out with moist crumbs, not wet batter and not clean. Start checking at 28. Underbaking slightly is the fudgy move.
7. Sprinkle flaky salt over the hot top. Cool completely in the pan, ideally 1 to 2 hours, then chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour before cutting. Warm brownies tear; chilled brownies cut clean. For the cleanest cut, use a hot knife wiped between cuts.

Notes

• Buy the best chocolate you can. Aim for 60 to 70 percent dark.
• Espresso powder amplifies chocolate. It should not taste like coffee.
• Do not skip the whip. That is the crackly top.
• Better on day two. Wrap the whole slab tightly, refrigerate, cut when cold. Bring to room temperature, or warm a square 10 seconds.
• Optional: zest of 1 orange into the sugar; spoonfuls of tahini on top before baking, swirled with a knife; a thin ganache on the chilled slab (100 g chocolate + 100 g warm cream, stirred smooth) before cutting.
• Double the batch for a 9x13.