Fudgy Brownies (One-Bowl)
Life is too short for cakey brownies. Fudgy or nothing. I will not be taking questions.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter 115g / 1 stick
- 1 cup sugar 200g
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder 30g; Dutch-process for deeper colour
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 65g
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- Optional: 1/2 cup chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
Method
Melt and Mix
- Melt the butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl (or saucepan). Add sugar and stir until combined. Add eggs one at a time, stirring well after each. Add vanilla. The mixture should look glossy and thick — this is where the crackly top comes from. The more you stir at this stage, the more sugar dissolves into the eggs, and the more pronounced that beautiful crackly crust will be. Give it a good 50 vigorous stirs. Yes, I counted. My arm complained. The brownies didn't.
Add Dry Ingredients
- Sift in the cocoa powder, flour, salt, and baking powder. (Sifting the cocoa prevents clumps. You can skip it if you're thorough with stirring, but cocoa clumps are surprisingly stubborn.) Fold until just combined — a few streaks are fine. Add chocolate chips if using. Pour into a greased and lined 8x8 inch pan.
Bake
- Bake at 175C / 350F for 20-25 minutes. Here's the critical part: they should look slightly underdone in the centre when you pull them. A toothpick should come out with moist crumbs, not clean. Clean = overbaked = cakey = sadness. The brownies continue to set as they cool. Trust the underbake. Let them cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes before cutting. I know this is torture. The torture is worth it.