Fudgy Brownies

These brownies are super fudgy, rich and decadent. My favorite way to eat these is to add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzle some salted caramel on top. It tastes heavenly! You should definitely give this recipe a try. Let's talk about the ingredients first :

• Butter : I prefer using unsalted butter because it allows you to adjust the amount of salt however you like. But if you only have salted butter on hand it's completely fine just skip the 1/4 tsp of salt.

• Dark chocolate : Use a good quality dark chocolate. Around 50-70%. It's going to give you a deep and intense chocolate flavor.

• Instant coffee powder : You can leave it out if you don't like coffee but the coffee powder in this recipe is just to intensify the chocolate flavor and you cannot taste the coffee at all.

• Vanilla : It is optional but it just intensifies the chocolate flavor

• Eggs : There are no leavening agents in this recipe. The eggs whipped with the sugars are going to act as the leavening agent and also give that shiny top.

• Sugars : You need both caster sugar and brown sugar for these brownies. Both sugars play an important role in not only the taste but also the texture of the brownie. Brown sugar adds moisture and also a caramel like flavor. I would also not recommend reducing the amount of sugar as it would change the texture.

• Whole wheat flour : This recipe calls for whole wheat flour because it makes the brownie fudgy but if you only have all purpose flour you can use that instead. It will just make the brownie a bit cakey.

• Cocoa powder : This recipe uses both chocolate and cocoa powder and gives that super rich chocolate flavor.

Servings : 12

Ingredients :

• Butter - 200g

• Dark chocolate - 200g

• Instant coffee powder - 1 tsp (optional)

• Vanilla extract - 1 tsp (optional)

• Salt - 1/4 tsp

• Eggs - 160g

• Caster sugar - 70g

• Brown sugar - 70g

• Whole wheat flour - 80g

• Cocoa powder - 20g

• Flaky sea salt (optional)

Instructions :

1. Chop up the chocolate roughly and melt together the butter and chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave until almost melted. Take it off the heat and mix until everything is melted and smooth.

2. Mix in the instant coffee, vanilla and salt and let it cool slightly.

3. In a separate bowl add in the eggs along with the sugars and beat it immediately using a hand mixer or a stand mixer. Don't let the sugars sit on top of the eggs unmixed. Keep beating for about 5-10 minutes until the mixture is pale, super thick and volumized. This stage is called the ribbon stage. The dissolved sugar in the eggs is what gives these brownies that classic shiny and crinkled top. To check whether you have reached the ribbon stage or not simply lift the whisk and let the mixture flow off. It should leave a trail before disappearing in the mixture again.

4. Pour in the melted butter and chocolate mixture and mix until well combined.

5. Now sift in the flour and cocoa powder. Fold it gently using a spatula until well combined. Do not overmix.

6. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F and line a 9x7 inch or 8x8 inch baking tin with parchment paper.

7. Pour the batter into the lined tin and spread it out evenly using a spatula or a spoon. You can add chocolate or nuts on top if you like.

8. Bake for about 25-30 minutes. To check that your brownies are done or not insert a toothpick in the center and if it comes out clean with a little bit of batter they are done. The toothpick should not be completely clean because we want the brownies to be fudgy and moist. Do not overbake them or they will come out dry.

9. Let the tin cool completely.

10. Now place the tin directly into the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight. This makes the brownies fudgier.

11. Once chilled, cut them into 12 equal squares using a sharp knife, sprinkle the flaky sea salt on top and ENJOY!

12. Store them in an air tight container in the fridge.