The Best Brownies

These brownies are not for the faint of heart or the calorie conscious.  However, if you want an extremely chocolately brownie that’s dense, not too sweet, fudgy, chewy, crispy on top, impressive, homemade, and truly decadent, then these are for you.  Don’t be scared by the amount of butter and chocolate in this recipe since it makes a huge quantity of brownies and a small one goes a long way.  Remember, boxed brownies don’t stand a chance next to homemade.  Enjoy!

The Best Brownies (inspired by Ina Garten’s Outrageous Brownies, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook)

1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter

1 pound plus 20 oz. good semi sweet chocolate chips

6 oz. unsweetened chocolate

6 large eggs, room temperature

2 tablespoons good vanilla extract

2 ¼ cups sugar

1 ¼ cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350 and butter and flour a 12x18x1 inch baking sheet (or divide batter into several 9x13 pans)

In a double boiler (a heat proof bowl set over simmering water), melt butter, 1 pound chocolate chips, and unsweetened chocolate

Cool slightly

In a large bowl, stir eggs, vanilla, and sugar

Stir in chocolate mixture and allow to cool to room temperature

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt in another bowl and add to the cooled chocolate mixture- stir just until combined

Mix the remaining 20 oz. chocolate chips with ¼ cup flour and fold into the batter

Pour into baking sheet

Bake for 18 minutes, and then tap the baking sheet against the oven shelf to let the air out (if you do not do this, the batter will overflow on your oven floor)

Rotate brownies and bake for another 15 minutes

Allow to cool completely then cut

Other add ins:  salted peanuts, walnuts, swirls of peanut butter, white chocolate, milk chocolate, cut up candy bars, toffee bits, anything else you think would be good!