Fudge Topped Brownies

Fudge Topped Brownies

After I recently posted a picture of these on Facebook (Baking and Boys), I was nearly accosted by some family, friends and cyber friends to hurry up and get the recipe posted.  So here you go---  ;)  (They are THAT good that they need to get posted ASAP.)

I got the idea for these and the fudge part of the recipe from my friend, Anna, at Cookie Madness.  She made them using a boxed brownie mix she had that needed to be used.  Boxed brownies are perfectly acceptable, though I’m on a quest to rid my life of boxed products, I can’t convince my family of that so far—even with brownies like these 100% homemade.  Sometimes Kevin will “whine” “Can’t you just make plain boxed brownies?”  Yes, there are some in the boxed-brownie camp who think homemade don’t taste as good.  While that is certainly not me, I think it’s the texture or the way the brownies turn out that people like so much.  (I hope it’s not the flavor as much, because I think the flavor is rather, well, boxy. ;) 

Moving on—these brownies, just the brownie part, are a new recipe (new, as in, I hadn’t made the recipe before) from Cook’s Illustrated for Chewy Brownies.  The folks in the Cook’s Illustrated kitchen set out to make a brownie like the boxed ones that are so well liked by many and this is the recipe they came up with for Chewy Brownies.  I have adapted it (of course), but you can find it online in many places.  I’m just going to give you the recipe as I made them.

I will for sure make these again as just brownies without the fudge top just to see what they are like on their own.  But they certainly worked well for these Fudge Topped Brownies.   Like I mentioned, the fudge top idea and recipe came from Anna (I’ve linked her recipe post above).  Hey, speaking of Anna—her first cookbook is coming out in November!  I’m so excited and have preordered mine---you should, too.  Here’s a link for the book from Amazon, The Daily Cookie, 365 Tempting Treats For the Sweetest Year of Your Life.

Fudge Topped Brownies, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!, adapted from recipes by Anna at Cookie Madness and Cook’s Illustrated (Chewy Brownies)

Brownies--

1/3 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (5 ounces) boiling water

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped finely

4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (5 ounces) canola oil (or vegetable/corn oil)

2 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2  1/2 cups (500 grams) granulated sugar

1  3/4 cups (210 grams) all purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon table salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda (I used this for high altitude purposes, it may not be necessary)

6 ounces dark/bittersweet chocolate (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9x13 baking pan with foil, leaving enough to overhang for removing the brownies.  Spray with cooking spray.  Set aside.

Whisk together the cocoa and boiling water in a large bowl and mix until smooth.  Add the unsweetened chocolate and whisk together until chocolate is melted.  Whisk in melted butter and oil.  (The mixture may look curdled, but will come together when the next things are added.)  Add the eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla and continue to whisk until smooth.  Whisk in sugar until fully incorporated.  Add flour and salt (and soda, if using) and combine using a rubber spatula.  Fold in until just combined.  Fold in chocolate, if using.

Scrape batter into the prepared pan and smooth evenly.  Bake until toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 35-45 minutes.  (Mine took 41 minutes.)  As soon as they come out of the oven, prepare the fudge.

Fudge--

3 tablespoons (1  1/2 ounces) butter, room temperature

1 cup sweetened condensed milk (not quite the whole can, 1 cup is 328 grams)

2 cups dark/bittersweet chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli 60%)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

When the brownies come out of the oven, combine the butter, condensed milk and chocolate chips in a medium sized saucepan.  Melt together over low heat (do not overheat the mixture) and stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.  Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.  Pour the fudge over the hot brownies.

Let sit until room temperature, then chill the brownies in the refrigerator for an hour or two until set.  Remove brownies from pan using the foil edges to lift them out and peel off the foil.   Cut into desired size brownies, 24 or 32.  These are pretty rich, so smaller is good.  (I cut the edges of the brownies off all four sides and got 30—1  1/2 inch brownies.)

If you like fudge and you like brownies, you will love these Fudge Topped Brownies, there is almost an equal radio of fudge to brownie.  I will be trying just the brownie recipe without the baking soda (not sure it made much difference) in the near future and I think I’ll leave out the six ounces of chocolate that is stirred in at the end.  Pecans or walnuts would be great in the brownies or even on the top of the fudge layer before it sets.  I think those Cook’s Illustrated folks got this brownie just right, but it’s a lot more involved than my favorite brownie recipe, so I’m sure I won’t make it all the time as a go-to brownie, but it is great, fudgy, dense and dark chocolaty!

*These are being added to Lisa’s blog hop, Sweets For a Saturday at Sweet As Sugar Cookies.