Cocoa and Brown Butter Brownies

Published on November 8, 2019 | By

I am on the endless quest for the perfect brownie. As you peruse the Sur le Plat site, you may have discovered that baking and eating brownies are one of my favorite pastimes. These brownies are unique and different from the other recipes that I have posted because they are made with browned butter and cocoa rather than semisweet chocolate and butter creamed with sugar. I have Alice Medrich and her book, “Sinfully Easy Delicious Desserts” to thank for this recipe. The result is a rich, dense, chocolatey, gooey brownie. Add this to your repertoire. You won’t regret it!

    • Prep Time
    • Minutes
    • Cook Time
    • Minutes
    • Yield
    • 16-25 brownies

Ingredients

  • 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt (or a heaping 1/4 teaspoon flaky salt, as I used)
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp water
  • 2 large eggs, cold
  • 1/3 cup plus 1 TBSP all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups walnut or pecan pieces (optional)

Instructions

  1. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottom and sides of an 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides.
  2. Melt the butter in a heavy small saucepan. Continue stirring or whisking until the butter turns a nutty brown to reddish color. Remove from heat.
  3. Immediately add cocoa, vanilla, water, salt and sugar. Combine well with a wooden spoon or spatula. Allow to cool
  4. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. When the batter looks thick, shiny, and well blended, add the flour and stir until you cannot see it any longer, then beat vigorously for 40-50 strokes with a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula.
  5. Stir in the nuts, if using. Spread batter evenly in the lined and oiled pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick plunged into the center emerges slightly moist with batter. This is Medrich’s suggestion but it took me at least 10 minutes longer to get them to set to my satisfaction. Let cool completely on a rack. (I also like to place mine in the fridge or freezer for a while because it makes them easier to cut)
  6. Lift up the ends of the parchment or foil liner, and transfer the brownies to a cutting board. Cut into 16 or 25 squares.
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