Cooks Illustrated Classic Brownies Recipes

CLASSIC BROWNIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on at least 2 sides. Butter the foil.
• Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder and salt in a medium bowl. Melt the butter and chocolate in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently. Let cool slightly. Stir in the sugar and eggs. Add the flour mixture, and stir to combine. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake until a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Let the brownies cool completely in the pan on a cooling rack. Use the foil overhang to help lift them out of the pan. Cut into 16 squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

BEST BROWNIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8-inch square pan.
• In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, salt, and baking powder. Spread batter into prepared pan.
• Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Do not overcook.
• To Make Frosting: Combine 3 tablespoons softened butter, 3 tablespoons cocoa, honey, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 cup confectioners' sugar. Stir until smooth. Frost brownies while they are still warm.

NEW CLASSIC BROWNIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line an 8-inch-square metal baking pan with foil. In top of a double boiler set over barely simmering water, or on low power in a microwave, melt butter and chocolate together. Stir often, and remove from heat when a few lumps remain. Stir until smooth.
• Stir in sugar, vanilla and salt. Stir in eggs one at a time, followed by flour. Stir until very smooth, about 1 minute, until mixture pulls away from sides of bowl. Add nuts, if using. Scrape batter into prepared pan and bake 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare a water bath: Pour ice water into a large roasting pan or kitchen sink to a depth of about 1 inch. Remove pan from oven and place in water bath, being careful not to splash water on brownies. Let cool completely, then lift out and cut into 1-inch squares or wrap in foil.

BROWNIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine chocolate and butter in a small saucepan over very low heat, stirring occasionally. When chocolate is just about melted, remove from heat, and continue to stir until mixture is smooth. Meanwhile, grease an 8-inch-square baking pan. If you like, also line it with waxed or parchment paper and grease that.
• Transfer mixture to a bowl, and stir in sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add flour (and salt and vanilla if you are using them), and stir to incorporate. Stop stirring when no traces of flour remain.
• Pour into pan, and bake 20 to 30 minutes, or until set and barely firm in the middle. Cool on a rack before cutting.

COOK'S ILLUSTRATED CLASSIC BROWNIES

Steps:

• 1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 325 degrees. Cut 18-inch length foil and fold lengthwise to 8-inch width. Fit foil into length of 13- by 9-inch baking dish, pushing it into corners and up sides of pan; allow excess to overhang pan edges. Cut 14-inch length foil and, if using extra-wide foil, fold lengthwise to 12-inch width; fit into width of baking pan in same manner, perpendicular to first sheet. Spray foil-lined pan with nonstick cooking spray. 3. Whisk to combine flour, salt, and baking powder in medium bowl; set aside. 4. Melt chocolate and butter in large heatproof bowl set over saucepan of almost-simmering water, stirring occasionally, until smooth. (Alternatively, in microwave, heat butter and chocolate in large microwave-safe bowl on high for 45 seconds, then stir and heat for 30 seconds more. Stir again, and, if necessary, repeat in 15-second increments; do not let chocolate burn.) When chocolate mixture is completely smooth, remove bowl from saucepan and gradually whisk in sugar. Add eggs one at time, whisking after each addition until thoroughly combined. Whisk in vanilla. Add flour mixture in three additions, folding with rubber spatula until batter is completely smooth and homogeneous. 5. Transfer batter to prepared pan; using spatula, spread batter into corners of pan and smooth surface. Sprinkle toasted nuts (if using) evenly over batter and bake until toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into center of brownies comes out with few moist crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours, then remove brownies from pan by lifting foil overhang. Cut brownies into 2-inch squares and serve. (Store leftovers in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.)

CLASSIC BROWNIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Melt chocolate and butter together in microwave on high for 1 to 2 minutes, or on stove top in heavy saucepan on very low heat. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Stir sugar into chocolate until well blended. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour and nuts until well blended. Spread in greased 9x13-inch glass baking dish. Bake 30 minutes. Do not overbake. Cool in pan. Cut into squares.

CLASSIC BROWNIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°.
• Cut 18" length foil and fold lenghtwise to 8" width.
• Fit foil into 13x9" baking dish.
• Make sure it is in the corners and sides of the baking dish.
• Make sure that the foil hangs over the side.
• Cut a 14 inch length foil, and fit into width of pan, perpendicular to first sheet.
• Make sure the foil hangs over the side.
• Spray foil with cooking spray.
• In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking powder; set aside.
• Melt chocolate and butter in double broiler, stirring until smooth.
• When chocolate is smooth, remove from heat and gradually whisk in sugar.
• Add eggs one at a time, whisking after each egg.
• Add in vanilla.
• Add 1/3 flour mixture, fold in with rubber spatula.
• Repeat until all flour is used and mix is smooth.
• Pour batter into prepared pan- make sure to spread brownie mix into corners of pan.
• Smooth the surface for even baking.
• If using nuts, sprinkle them on top.
• Cook brownies for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the brownies comes out clean.
• Cool in pan on wire rack for 2 hours.
• Remove brownies from pan by lifting foil over-hang.
• Cut brownies into 2" squares.
• Brownies can can be stored in an airtight container up to 3 days.