Extreme Chocolate Brownies aka My Favorite Brownies
OK you might be reading the title and think these brownies have an identity crisis. It’s just that they are extremely rich and chocolatey, they are my favorite brownie recipe and they happen to make a nice big batch – all of which are equally important! This is my go-to brownie recipe and I usually serve some freshly made and freeze some too. They freeze very well (if you look at the amount of butter and chocolate in them, it makes perfect sense!) and then you can have brownies at a moment’s notice. You need a jelly roll pan for these. They are inspired by Ina Garten’s Outrageous Brownies, but I knew that I could ramp up and improve the flavor using better chocolate than chips for the part that is melted and incorporated within the batter. I think I succeeded.
Makes….a lot! You can cut up to 80 out of the pan
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
12 ounces semisweet chocolate morsels/chips
3 cups toasted walnuts, finely chopped
1 pound semisweet chocolate, finely chopped, such as Callebaut
1 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate , finely chopped
2 1/4 cups sugar
7 large eggs , at room temperature
2 tablespoons instant coffee or espresso powder
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a jelly-roll pan with nonstick spray (18-inch x 13-inch), line with parchment paper, then spray parchment.
Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl. Stir in chocolate chips and all of the walnuts to coat; set aside.
Melt one pound of chopped chocolate, butter and unsweetened chocolate in a medium bowl over simmering water or in a microwaveable bowl. Cool to lukewarm.
In a large bowl, gently whisk together the sugar, eggs, instant coffee and vanilla. Stir in the lukewarm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and allow to cool to room temperature. Fold then stir in the dry mixture just until combined. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, rotating pan front to back once during baking, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with moist crumbs clinging. Do not overbake. Cool on rack. Cut into squares; best eaten within 3 days. Store in airtight container at room temperature in single layers separated by parchment paper or foil. May be frozen up to 1 month, double wrapped in plastic and then foil. (I freeze in large pieces and cut after defrosting).