Chewy Brownies

I realized the other week that I am no longer "cool." All this came about in a conversation with my brother who is, coincidentally, "cool." He was playing his music and I was listening like the awesome big sister I am and I asked him if people could krump to it. That's right. Krump. Because I thought krumping was what youngsters were into these days.

And I glanced at him and he was laughing and trying not to show it, and I was informed that krumping is no longer a thing; people just dance. 

I referenced a thing as though it were cool while blissfully unaware that said thing had ceased being cool. It's happened, world. I have crossed the line into irrelevance . . . at least where pop culture is concerned. Aaannnd given the rise of the twerking phenomena, I'm finding I am actually totally okay with this. 

But you know what? After a long search, I have found a recipe for a chocolaty, chewy brownie that will rock your world . . . even if it's a world in which krumping does not exist. And personally, I think that's pretty cool.  

Because look at these beauties, all glistening in chocolate perfection. Look at the fudgy crumb, the crinkled tops, that dark, deep color that is redolent of all things right in this world: sugar, butter, chocolate. Yum.

And really, could these come at a better time? The weather has changed/is changing, making us want to turn away from all those fruit-filled desserts in search of something warm, hearty, and chocolaty. Yes, brownies were created for fall nights; I'm sure of it. And if you happen to have some Bluebell vanilla ice cream lying around . . . I can't say it would hurt. If you're really insane, try this with some hot fudge sauce and a sprinkling of chopped nuts. And if you were, say, to curl up under a blanket and watch old episodes of BBC's Sherlock Holmes, it might - almost - make up for the preposterous fact that the fourth series is STILL not out. But I digress.

Make them. They could change your life. And if not your life, then definitely your current outlook of it.

Chewy Brownies
Tweaked from Cook's Illustrated Cookbook

1/3 cup Dutch-processed  cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder (optional)
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs plus 2 large yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Make foil sling by taking two sheets of aluminum foil (they must be a few inches longer than your pan and hang over the edge). Spread foil into pan, one on top of the other in the shape of a cross, pushing the foil into the corners as needed. Grease foil with Pam.

Mix cocoa, expresso powder and boiling water together. Pour in unsweetened chocolate and whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth, then add oil and melted butter. Your batter is going to look curdled and strange at this point. Do not worry. It will bake up just fine, cross my heart.

Mix in eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla until thoroughly combined, then add sugar. Mix flour and salt in small bowl, then add to batter with a spatula. Fold in bittersweet chocolate pieces.

Pour batter into pan and smooth with spatula. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. It's done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs attached. If your toothpick looks gooey, insert the toothpick in anther place; you may have just hit a pocket of chocolate.

The original recipe recommends that you let the brownies cool for 1 1/2 hours, then take them out of the pan, then let them cool for another hour. This is madness. I would let them cool for as long as you can stand, then remove the brownies from the pan using the foil sling.  (I will say, however, that if you don't wait for them to cool, they will be a little difficult to cut because they are soo gooey and delectable. Is this really a problem? No. No, I don't think so.) Cut brownies into 2 inch squares and consume happily.

They'll keep for a few days in a tupperware at room temp.