Bravetart Brownies

I've been following Stella Parks, editor of Serious Eats, since god-knows-when. I'd read nothing but good reviews about BraveTart: Iconic American Desserts, and I was pretty stocked to finally get my hands on a copy. The recipes come with an exploration on how these desserts came about in the backdrop of American history, and for the uninitiated like myself, it's interesting to learn how these classic recipes came about. 

Which brings me to this winner of a brownie recipe. I'm a lazy baker, but it's well worth going the extra distance for this recipe. They taste like the fudgiest chocolate brownies in the world. It's like eating pure chocolate! 

I was going to say that these brownies are the best that I've had, but I think the internet already has a hundred-and-one "Best Ever Brownie" recipes out there, which seems statistically unlikely. So instead, I'll just say that this recipe is very good indeed. It may be the tastiest brownies that I'd made. I can't imagine brownies tasting any finer. (It's conceivable that I could be a politician, with all the hedging that I can do.) 

A perfect execution brings you a square of brownie topped with a delicate candy surface and an inner chewy, just-set bite. Which is the dream brownie texture in my book. A couple of times though, I *might* have messed up, and baked at the brownie at a far higher heat than recommended. The resulting brownie still has a deep chocolate profile, but the texture became more cake-like, with a delightfully crisp top. It's still plenty delicious, and in a serendipitous turn of event, perfect with a scoop of ice cream, but don't be like me. 

BraveTart Brownies
Adapted from BraveTart: Iconic American Desserts by Stella Parks
Fits a 6 inches sq pan 

Slicing brownies and biting into warm brownies fresh from the oven is oh-so-delicious, but results in messy squares. To get nice little neat squares, brownies have to be chilled in the fridge. 

INGREDIENTS
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170g (6 ounces) unsalted butter
85g (3 ounces or 1/2 cup) finely chopped dark chocolate, about 72%
200g white sugar
30g (1 ounce or 1/8 cup, packed) light brown sugar
1 teaspoon (3g) kosher salt (If using table salt, use 1/2 tsp by volume, or 4g by weight)
3 large eggs, straight from the fridge
1/2 tablespoon (1/4 ounce, 7.5g) vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional)
65g (1/2 cup) all-purpose flour
60g Dutch-process cocoa powder

STEPS
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1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Place an oven rack to middle position.

2. Line a baking pan with foil to cover the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Grease lightly with pan spray.

3. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. When completely melted, increase heat to medium, stirring the bottom all the while with a heat-resistant spatula while the butter hisses and pops. Continue until butter is golden yellow and goes silent. Remove from heat and stir in dark chocolate. The mixture will be quite thin. It's okay!

3. In a large bowl, combine white sugar, brown sugar, salt, eggs, vanilla, and instant espresso and whisk on medium-high until extremely thick and fluffy, about 8 minutes. When ready,  reduce speed to low and pour in the warm chocolate-butter. 

4. Sift together flour and cocoa powder into a small bowl. Add the flour mixture all at once and combine with a flexible spatula.

5. Pour into pan and bake for about 20-25 minutes, until brownies are glossy and just barely firm.  If using a thermometer, the internal temperature should be 96°C (205°F). Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature before slicing. Run a butter knife between the edges of the brownie and the pan and gently lift the foil to remove the brownies. Cut into two-and-a-half-inch squares. 

Storage:
It can keep for about 1 week in an airtight container.