Best Fudgiest Brownies

Perfect crisp crackly top, super fudgy center, chewy and gooey in all the right places, studded with melted chunks of chocolate!

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 1/4 cups white sugar
• 1 cup  packed light brown sugar
• 4  large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup good quality, unsweetened cocoa powder
• 7 oz roughly chopped chocolate or large chocolate chips

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 175°C | 350°F.
• Lightly grease an 8x12-inch baking pan* with cooking oil spray. Line with parchment paper (or baking paper); set aside.
• Combine melted butter, oil and sugars together in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk well to combine. Add the eggs and vanilla; beat until lighter in color (another minute).
• Sift in flour, cocoa powder and salt. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until JUST combined (do NOT over beat as doing so well affect the texture of your brownies).
• Fold in 3/4 of the chocolate pieces.
• Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing the top out evenly, and top with remaining chocolate pieces.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes for just under-done brownies (fudgier texture) or until the center of the brownies no longer jiggles and is JUST set to the touch.
  OR 35-40 minutes if you like your brownies well set and firm.NOTE: Brownies will continue baking and set in the hot pan out of the oven. If testing with a toothpick, the toothpick should come out dirty for fudge-textured brownies.
• After 15-20 minutes, carefully remove them out of the pan and allow to cool to room temperature before slicing into 16 brownies. They set while they cool.
  
  ENJOY!

OPTIONAL ADD INS:

• Crushed walnuts, peanuts, almonds, pecans, etc. Chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, shredded coconut, dried fruit (cranberries, raisins, etc)

STORING:

• Store at room temperature for 3 days, or refrigerator for up to 5 days. These brownies can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving OR reheat in the microwave.

Notes

*For thicker brownies, bake in a 7x11-inch pan for 40-45 minutes. For thinner brownies, bake in a 9x13-inch pan for 18-20 minutes.

PLEASE NOTE: An 8x12-inch pan bakes the most perfect brownies -- thickness and texture.

TIPS AND TRICKS:

1. Do NOT over beat your batter once the flour and cocoa powder are added. That creates air pockets in the batter which will give you cake-like textured brownies.
2. Please try not to over bake them. Set a timer if you need too. I like mine at exactly 23 minutes in an 8x12-inch pan. You can go a little bit over if you like them set a bit more, but I don't recommend it if you're looking for the fudgiest brownies in the world. Remember, they will continue to bake slightly in the hot pan once pulled out of the oven,
3. I bake my brownies on the top shelf in the oven. I find the middle shelf cooks them a lot faster, slightly burns them on the top and dries them out.

From Karina at Cafe Delites

Mascarpone Brownies

"All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt."

 I can't resist these very decadent brownies.

What makes it SO special is adding Mascarpone cheese and European Plugra Butter.  Find both at Harter House Republic Road and Eastgate locations in Springfield.

Mascarpone is a soft, white, fresh, vegetarian,

cream cheese from the Lombardy region

of southern Italy. In fact, it is not cheese at all,

but rather the result of a culture

being added to the cream skimmed off the milk.

The secret to Plugrá European-Style Butter is a slow-churned process that creates less moisture content and a creamier texture when compared to average table butters.This secret becomes yours for higher, fluffier cakes, flakier pastries, unbelievably creamy sauces, rich enviable risottos, sizzling sautés, and extraordinary flavored butters.

When Should I Use Unsalted Plugrá® European-Style Butter?Unsalted butter is ideally used in recipes because it allows you to control the salt content like a professional baker or chef.

When Should I Use Salted Plugrá Butter?Salted butter is best served at the table. Try serving slices on individual plates for guests or whipped in a small ramekin. For decorative effect, stamp slices with a special design, pipe softened butter through a pastry bag, or curl it with a spoon.

Why is Plugrá Butter Better for Baking?
Plugrá butter contains less water than average table butter. Lower moisture helps you create cakes that rise higher, cookies that crisp more evenly, and flakier pastries.


BROWNIES:

1 cup unsalted butter
3 ounces best-quality semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup cocoa powder
½ cup mascarpone cheese, softened
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ tsp Salt

GANACHE:

6 ounces best-quality semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
6 Tbs whipping cream
3 Tbs unsalted butter

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter an 8-inch square pyrex pan.

2. Place chopped chocolate in a mixing bowl; set aside. In a small glass bowl, melt butter in microwave (take it out before it starts bubbling.) Pour butter over the chocolate and let stand for 30 seconds. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Sift in sugar and cocoa powder.

3. With a wooden spoon, beat in mascarpone, eggs and vanilla, mixing until smooth. Gently fold in flour and salt.

4. Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Place into preheated oven and bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.

5. Place pan on cooling rack and let brownies cool 10 to 15 minutes while you make the ganache.

6. Place chopped chocolate in a mixing bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the cream and butter to just below boiling point, over medium heat. Pour this hot mixture over the chocolate and let stand for 30 seconds, then stir until smooth. Pour ganache over brownies while still warm, and spread to cover evenly.

7. Let ganache firm up before cutting. It's best to refrigerate them until quite firm. Once the ganache is firm and the brownies have been cut, they do not need to be kept in the refrigerator.


Yield: About 16 brownies