Fudgy Brownies with a Crackly Top

Before you start

Fudgy brownies sit at the dense, moist end of the brownie spectrum. They get there with a high ratio of chocolate and butter to flour, no chemical leavening, and a short bake. Both melted dark chocolate and cocoa powder go in: the chocolate brings richness and fat, and the cocoa deepens the flavor without making the batter greasy.

The glossy crackled top comes from sugar that dissolves in the eggs and then forms a thin meringue-like film as it bakes. Whisking the eggs and sugar hard for a few minutes, then adding warm chocolate, encourages it. The other key decision is when to stop baking. Pull the pan when a toothpick shows moist crumbs; the brownies keep setting as they cool, and they cut cleanly only once completely cool.

Ingredients

• 140 g (10 tbsp) unsalted butter — cut into pieces
• 170 g dark chocolate (60–70%) — chopped
• 250 g (1¼ cups) granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs — room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp fine salt
• 25 g (¼ cup) unsweetened cocoa powder — natural or Dutch-process
• 65 g (½ cup, spooned and leveled) all-purpose flour

Method

1. Heat the oven to 175°C (350°F) with a rack in the center. Line the pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on two sides for lifting.
2. Melt the butter and chocolate together over barely simmering water or in short microwave bursts, stirring until smooth. Keep it warm.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt vigorously for 3 to 4 minutes by hand, or 2 minutes with a mixer, until pale, slightly thickened and no longer gritty when rubbed between your fingers.
4. Pour in the warm chocolate mixture and whisk until glossy and uniform.
5. Sift the cocoa and flour over the bowl and fold with a spatula just until no dry streaks remain. The batter will be thick and shiny.
6. Scrape it into the pan and smooth the top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is shiny and crackled, the edges are set and a toothpick in the center comes out with moist, sticky crumbs but no wet batter.
7. Cool the brownies in the pan on a rack for at least 2 hours. Lift them out with the parchment and cut into 16 squares with a sharp knife, wiping it clean between cuts.

Tips for success

• Use a metal pan. Glass heats slowly and holds heat longer, which tends to overcook the edges before the middle is done.
• Refrigerate the cooled slab for 30 minutes for the neatest cuts.
• Check at 24 minutes. In an 8-inch pan, two extra minutes can be the difference between fudgy and cakey.

Substitutions

Dark chocolate

Semisweet chips work but contain stabilizers and more sugar; the brownies will be sweeter and slightly less glossy. Reduce the sugar by 25 g.

Granulated sugar

Replace up to 100 g with light brown sugar for a chewier, more caramel brownie. The top will be less shiny.

All-purpose flour

For a gluten-free version, use the same weight of a cup-for-cup gluten-free blend. The texture stays fudgy because there is so little flour.

Variations

Espresso brownies

Dissolve 2 tsp instant espresso powder in the warm chocolate mixture.

Nutty brownies

Fold in 75 g toasted walnuts or pecans with the flour.

Troubleshooting

No shiny crust

The eggs and sugar were not whisked long enough, or the chocolate was cool when added. Whisk until the sugar dissolves and add the chocolate while warm.

Brownies are cakey and dry

They were overbaked or the flour was overmeasured. Pull them at moist crumbs and weigh the flour.

Greasy top or oily edges

The butter separated from overheating. Melt gently, stirring, and do not let the mixture boil.

Center sank and is gooey

Underbaked. Bake until a toothpick shows crumbs rather than liquid batter, and check your oven temperature.

Storage

Store brownies tightly covered at room temperature for up to 4 days, or refrigerate for up to 1 week. Freeze individually wrapped squares for up to 3 months.

Safety notes

Do not taste the batter, which contains raw egg and flour. Contains egg, milk and wheat.