Cookbook:Fudge Brownies

| North American Cuisines

Fudge brownies are dark, dense, fudge-like brownies. They contain more cocoa than cake-like brownies and as a result they are slightly more bitter and have a more "dark chocolate" taste.

Ingredients

 * 110 g (1.2 dl or ½ cup or 4 oz) flour
 * 110 g (1.2 dl or ½ cup or 4 oz) unsalted butter
 * 280 g (3 dl or 1 ¼ cups or 10 oz) granulated sugar
 * 2 large, cold eggs
 * 170 g (1.8 dl or ¾ cup or 6 oz) cocoa
 * ¼ tsp salt
 * 1 tsp vanilla essence

Procedure

 * 1) Preheat oven to 160°C (325°F or Gas Mark 3).
 * 2) In a saucepan, melt butter over low heat.
 * 3) Slowly stir in sugar, making sure it is completely dissolved. Stir in cocoa, then remove from heat and add vanilla.
 * 4) Stir in salt and mix until even.
 * 5) Whisk eggs together in a separate bowl, then add to the mixture and stir well.
 * 6) Add flour and stir until all of the flour is incorporated and the batter is an even color. Stir well for at least another 50 strokes.
 * 7) Pour into an 8&times;8-inch pan lined with aluminum foil, leaving plenty of overhang on both sides.
 * 8) Bake for about 26 minutes—the time varies depending on your pan type and your individual oven.

Notes, tips, and variations

 * For the best results, refrigerate the brownies until they are cooled completely. Use the foil hanging over the edges as handles to remove the baked brownies from the pan (this requires some care as the brownies are not solid at this point). Fold the foil over the top so that the brownies are covered top and bottom with foil, and then put the whole thing in the refrigerator until cooled (feel the bottom center if you aren't sure). This prevents the edges from overcooking while allowing the center to finish baking and cool. If you omit this step, you may end up with an undercooked center and/or overcooked edges.
 * For the real chocolate lover, crumble about 50 grams (1&frac34; ounces) of a dark chocolate bar (one with about 70% cocoa content) into the batter and stir it lightly right before pouring the mixture into the baking pan. You may need to add a few minutes to the baking time.
 * Cut a brownie in half lengthwise and eat it with ice cream in the middle like an ice cream sandwich.
 * Instead of adding vanilla and/or nuts, try adding about 100 grams (4 oz) of fresh raspberries; their sharpness goes very well with the richness of the chocolate. Half fill the tin with batter, sprinkle the raspberries over the mixture, then pour on the rest.