Among the sweets from across the ocean, American brownies stand out for their irresistible combination of a crunchy crust and moist interior, which melts in your mouth (“fudgy”, as they would say in the United States). A true delight for dark chocolate lovers! Making them at home is really simple, and by following a few small tips, you can enjoy chocolate brownies worthy of an American bakery or café. The secrets to achieving a perfect result are two and must be followed carefully: 1. Thoroughly beat eggs and sugar, the latter in generous quantities, because during baking, it rises and caramelizes, creating the typical crust; 2. Take the brownies out of the oven when the batter is still slightly moist: if you do the toothpick test, it should NOT come out dry, but just stained by the batter. If like me, you can never get enough chocolate, you can add some dark chocolate chips to the American brownie batter, but they are not necessary!
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 25 Minutes
- Portions: 12Pieces
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 386.87 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 45.41 (g) of which sugars 34.51 (g)
- Proteins 5.20 (g)
- Fat 21.86 (g) of which saturated 12.77 (g)of which unsaturated 7.40 (g)
- Fibers 2.98 (g)
- Sodium 60.88 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 80 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for 12 dark chocolate brownies
If you are celiac, good news! American brownies contain very little flour, which can be replaced with an equal weight of fine rice flour without compromising the result in any way. However, make sure the following ingredients have the label “gluten-free”: rice flour, unsweetened cocoa, dark chocolate, chocolate chips.
- 4 eggs (medium, at room temperature)
- 9.2 oz 60% dark chocolate
- 10.6 tbsp butter
- 1 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (or rice flour, for gluten-free brownies)
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 pinch salt
- A few drops vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp rum (optional)
- 1.8 oz dark chocolate chips (optional)
Tools
- 1 Microwave oven
- 2 Bowls
- Electric beaters
- 1 Sieve
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Baking Pan square 22×22
- Parchment paper
How to make soft-centered brownies according to the American recipe
Before making American brownies, I recommend keeping the eggs at room temperature for at least half an hour, so they whip more easily. Chop the dark chocolate with a knife and place it in a bowl along with the butter in pieces (1). If you have a microwave, melt chocolate and butter for 30 seconds at maximum power, stir and put back in the microwave for 10 seconds at maximum power for 3 or 4 times, stirring each time, until completely melted (2).
If you don’t have a microwave, melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler, placing chocolate and butter in a saucepan and this in a larger saucepan with gently boiling water, stirring carefully until chocolate and butter are completely melted. Let cool. Crack the eggs into a large bowl and add the sugar and a pinch of salt (3).
Beat them with electric beaters for 7-8 minutes, until obtaining a light, fluffy, and frothy mixture (4). This step is crucial: the sugar must dissolve completely in the eggs and they must incorporate air; this way, the brownie batter – which is made without baking powder – will rise slightly and form the classic crust on top.
At this point, add the melted chocolate together with the butter (5). Also add the vanilla extract and rum, if desired. Mix again with the electric beaters for a couple of minutes, until the chocolate is completely incorporated (6).
Put away the electric beaters at this point. Sift the all-purpose flour (or rice flour) and unsweetened cocoa into the bowl (7). Incorporate them into the batter using a spatula or a spoon. In the end, you should get a thick and homogeneous mixture (8). If you want, add 30 g of chocolate chips to the batter (9).
Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper (internal dimensions). If you don’t have one of this size, you can consult this guide that will help you choose an equivalent pan or recalculate the doses based on the size of your pan. Pour the batter into it, smooth it well with the spatula, and tap the pan a couple of times on the work surface to eliminate any air bubbles. If you want, decorate the surface with 20 g of chocolate chips (10).
Bake the chocolate brownies in a preheated 375°F (static) oven for 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 340°F and continue baking for another 15 minutes. Then test the baking with a wooden skewer: if the batter seems still liquid, continue for another 5 minutes, but if it’s soft but firm and the skewer comes out only slightly dirty with batter, you can remove the brownies from the oven (11). Let them cool completely, then remove them from the pan using the parchment paper and cut them into squares using a long serrated knife (12).
Enjoy the brownies for breakfast, as a snack, or even as a dessert: if you want to serve a truly unforgettable dessert, place a brownie on a plate, heat it for 10 seconds in the microwave, and place a scoop of vanilla ice cream next to it!
How to store brownies
Brownies can be stored at room temperature for 3 or 4 days.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Can I reduce the sugar?
The original American brownie recipe calls for a lot of sugar, which, as mentioned, is the ingredient that ensures the crunchy crust on the surface. Naturally, you can reduce it as desired, being fully aware that the result will not be exactly the same.
Can I use oil instead of butter?
If you can’t use butter, you can replace it with 120 ml of vegetable oil. In this case, the chocolate must be melted on its own – in the microwave or a double boiler – and the oil should be added to the eggs along with the melted chocolate.
