food

Crackle-Top Ooey Gooey Brownies

July 9, 2021 by sallyb.zhao No Comments

I have been searching for the perfect brownie recipe since I first started baking, and this is THE ONE. In the past, I’ve struggled with cakey dry brownies, brownies that lacked a rich chocolatey flavor, crispy brownies… you name it, I’ve baked it. I almost gave up on making them because they were so variable every time. But alas, the craving for chocolatey goodness hit me again, and I gave it another shot. And thank goodness I did!! This batch came out perfect – crackly top, melt-in-your-mouth soft, full-bodied chocolatey fudgy goodness.

I can’t pinpoint the trick to these brownies, but I can share what was different in this recipe compared to some others I’ve tried. 

  1. I found that with only cocoa powder, the chocolate flavor wasn’t as strong and yielded a drier brownie. So this recipe uses both melted chocolate and cocoa powder, which gives the brownies a fuller chocolate flavor.
  2. After adding the eggs, whisk the mixture until it turns pale yellow and thicker. In the past, I just mixed everything until it was homogenous and didn’t take it to this step, but the texture here is important.
  3. After adding the dry ingredients, mix MINIMALLY. I even dumped my chocolate chunks in with the flour, so I wouldn’t mix the batter any more than I needed to. Overmixing will aerate the batter, leading to cakey brownies. No thanks!
  4. Bake until the brownies are just set. Overbaking will dry out the brownie and prevent the yummy fudginess from forming.

Crackle-Top Ooey Gooey Brownies

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 16 brownies

Shiny crackly top, rich fudgy flavor, and melt-in-your-mouth texture – these brownies will not disappoint!

Ingredients

  • 4 oz melted chocolate
  • 8 tbsp butter, melted
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 3/4 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3 oz chocolate chopped

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
  2. In a large bowl, mix together the butter and sugar.
  3. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until the mixture turns pale yellow and fluffy.
  4. Make sure the melted chocolate is not too hot (or it’ll cook the eggs!) and whisk it in slowly.
  5. Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and add in the chocolate chunks. Fold in the dry ingredients until just combined.
  6. Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper and pour the batter in.
  7. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool before slicing.